After the soldiers finished eating and resting, Lu Wenyuan sent two soldiers to ride out of the city on fast horses to find out where the rebels had gone. Shi Shouye was ordered to gather the soldiers in the city and gave a lecture. Lu Wenyuan ascended to the high platform and said: "Now that the victims of the disaster in Shanxi have revolted, and the Ming Dynasty is in danger, the imperial court sent us to fight in the war, which is a trust in us." We must also live up to this trust, and we must do our best to protect our family and country. ”

"Now the ranks of the displaced people are moving at full speed, and I believe that in less than three days, they will be approaching here. I know that everyone has worked very hard all the way, but now that there is no time to rest, in the past three days, I hope that everyone can strictly abide by the military orders and focus on the overall situation. General Shi and I will also lead by example. When the rebellion is quelled, I will ask the court for a reward and show you for your merits. ”

"We have gathered here to give two orders, first, to gather and burn the unclaimed corpses in and outside the city to prevent the epidemic of plague. ”

"Second, collect a qiē iron and bronze utensils in the city, but only rummage in uninhabited houses, and it is forbidden to disturb the people, it is forbidden to snatch them from the people, and if there is a violation of the prohibition, it is forbidden to deal with it by military law. ”

"Now we are divided into two teams, one to carry out the first order, and the second team to carry out the second order, which must be completed before dark. Get moving. ”

All the soldiers agreed in unison, and under the command of Shi Shouye, they divided into two groups and began to carry out orders in the city. However, everyone had doubts in their hearts, but they could understand the burning of corpses, but why they were collecting bronze and iron tools, could it be that they did not have enough weapons and wanted to cast them temporarily? They were busy until dark, but they also finished their work on time, only to see that under the dim sky, all the corpses that had been stacked inside and outside the city disappeared, and several hills of bronze and iron tools were piled up in the open space in the city.

Lu Wenyuan ordered the soldiers to rest temporarily and bury the pot to cook. During this period, many people in the city took the initiative to send iron and bronze utensils from their homes to thank the soldiers for their willingness to share the food with them. Civil-military relations have become more harmonious.

After dinner, Lu Wenyuan gathered the soldiers again and gave another order: dig a pit in the city to melt iron and cast a cauldron.

After Lu Wenyuan supervised the soldiers to dig more than a dozen large pits in the city, he divided the remaining soldiers into several teams, took turns to rest, and began to melt iron and cast pots all night. The city was ablaze for a while, and the sound of clanging iron rang all night.

By noon the next day, a dozen iron pots nearly one person high had been cast. After seeing it, Lu Wenyuan encouraged the soldiers and asked them to continue to work. But all the soldiers were burned by the smoke and fire all night, and they didn't sleep well, and they forced themselves to work all morning according to Lu Wenyuan's instructions, and they really didn't want to do it anymore, so they all pleaded with Shi Shouye to intercede with Lu Wenyuan.

Shi Shouye was stern on the surface, but in fact, he also loved soldiers like a son, he was a complete habitual child, and when he saw that his soldiers were tired, he felt uncomfortable, so he went to Lu Wenyuan's tent to find him.

But when you enter the tent, you can see that there is no shadow of Lu Wenyuan, and the bedding on the bed is still tied up like when you were marching, as if you have never slept. When he exited the tent and asked the soldier at the door, he said that he had not returned since last night. Shi Shouye was a little flustered, he didn't know that the top commander in the army had been missing for so long, if something happened...... Shi Shouye thought of Lu Wenyuan's thin figure, and became more and more frightened, so he hurriedly ran out of the camp tent and looked around.

The molten iron cauldron in the city was in full swing, and although the soldiers were tired, they were much more skilled in the division of labor and cooperation than last night, so they were also in order. More than a dozen large pits are densely surrounded by people, stirring molten iron, smashing iron, clanging and smashing. Shi Shouye originally thought that Lu Wenyuan had run to the barracks or the city wall, but he didn't want to inadvertently glance at this time, glimpsing a white figure in the crowd, but it was not Lu Wenyuan, who was struggling to swing a hammer and smash sparks on the chopping board in front of him.

Shi Shouye didn't know that his thin body could burst out with so much power, but he was afraid that he would accidentally hurt himself, so he hurriedly stepped forward and snatched the hammer from his hand, and said, "Why did the adults run here?"

Lu Wenyuan worked all night by the pit, and at this time his eyes were red, but his face became more and more pale, his sideburns were messy, and his moon-white brocade robe was also smeared with black ash, looking like a poor rabbit. Shi Shouye wanted to laugh but didn't dare to laugh, pulled him to a secluded place and said, "Why did Lord Lu do his own work?"

Lu Wenyuan said with a smile: "I just said yesterday that you lead by example, how can you not keep your promise." ”

Shi Shouye saw that he was smiling honestly, but he was a little embarrassed to speak, and after thinking about it, he hesitated around in a circle and said: "Lord Lu, this soldier has been molten iron casting pot for nearly a day and a night, and his body can't bear it, and the general is afraid that if it continues like this, it will damage the combat effectiveness of the army." The revolt of the outcasts will arrive by this time tomorrow at the latest, and when the two sides will fight, I am afraid it will be ......."

Lu Wenyuan smiled faintly and said, "General Shi, don't worry, this battle can't be fought." ”

Shi Shouye was surprised and said, "If you don't fight, how can you deal with those homeless people if you don't fight?"

Lu Wenyuan was just about to answer, but a soldier rushed to him and Shi Shouye in a panic and shouted: "My lord, general, it's not good! A team came from the west, and the black pressure was overwhelming, I'm afraid the rebel army has arrived in advance!"

Lu Wenyuan and Shi Shouye were both shocked, and hurriedly followed the soldier who reported the news to the city tower to take a look, and saw that a team was coming from the west, and there was still about a mile to go to the city. But the tail of the team is still nowhere to be seen, and there are thousands of people, to say the least.

At this time, even Lu Wenyuan panicked, and while staring at the slowly moving team in the distance, he muttered: "The two cavalrymen who went to investigate this morning only said that the wandering team was thirty miles away from the city, why did they arrive here after a few hours now?"

Shi Shouye also said: "Yes, even if the regular army can only travel thirty miles a day at most, how can they be so fast?"

The people on the tower of the city were shocked and suspicious, and the soldiers in the city also got the news, and they stopped casting the molten iron cauldron and looked up at the city wall. The entire city of Zhangde was silent for a while, and only the chaotic breathing of the crowd and the occasional bubbling of molten iron in the pit could be heard. Tension spread silently through the city.

The team outside the city was getting closer and closer, and the people on the city tower were beating faster for a while, but after a while, they heard Lu Wenyuan say "Huh": "No, I'm afraid these are not rebellious refugees." ”

Shi Shouye also squinted his eyes and looked at it carefully, and echoed: "What the Lord said is true." These people are neatly organized and in unison, and they are by no means comparable to the chaos and scatteredness of the homeless. More like a regular army. ”

As he spoke, the group got closer, and the shining armor of the soldiers in the front row could be seen, and the leader rode a tall horse, with an upright posture and extraordinary bearing. When I got closer, I saw that it was a beautiful son, dressed in a brocade robe, wearing a jade crown, and his face was extremely good. Pull the reins of your horse under the city, and look up at the city.

Lu Wenyuan was secretly shocked, and saw a soldier riding out of the column and shouting to everyone in the city: "Open the city gate quickly, Zhu Shiji, the king of Kangping, will bring troops to help." ”

Zhu Shiji, the king of Kangping, brought troops to help, but everyone in the city did not expect it. Lu Wenyuan hurriedly ordered the city gate to be opened, and he came down from the city tower to greet him.

Zhu Shiji, the king of Kangping, is the most favored younger brother of the current saint Zhu Shiyang. The two are siblings, born only half an hour apart, and have grown up together in the deep palace since childhood. They read books together every day, practice martial arts together, and even go to bed in the same place, so the relationship is intimate, which is not comparable to other princes. After Zhu Shiyang ascended the throne, he sealed Zhu Shiji in the richest Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas in the country to show his affection. These two people are in the family of the emperor who killed each other and lost his family, and it can be regarded as the first part.

Everyone knew that of course they would never dare to treat this illustrious prince slowly, and as soon as the city gate opened, the soldiers in the city fell to their knees. Lu Wenyuan also took Shi Shouye to kneel in front of the horse and said, "Minister Lu Wenyuan has seen the prince. ”

Zhu Shiji hurriedly lifted his clothes and dismounted, stretched out his hand to help, and said, "Lord Lu is polite." ”

Lu Wenyuan straightened up and looked at this prince, and took a look. I only felt that he was long and jade, graceful and graceful, and his eyebrows were very similar to today's saints, but he never had a noble and arrogant stand, and before he spoke, he had a three-point smile on his face.

I heard Zhu Shiji say: "This king came this time because he heard that the displaced people had broken out in an uprising and were approaching the capital. The king was very worried in his heart, so he led troops to stop him, but he didn't want Lord Lu to make arrangements earlier. It's the king who is abrupt. ”

Lu Wenyuan said: "Where is the prince?" The prince came at the right time. Yesterday, the minister was still worried about the shortage of food and grass in the army and the shortage of disaster relief materials, and today the prince came to put out the fire. The minister should really thank the prince for the emperor. ”

Zhu Shiji said with a smile: "If the imperial brother is in trouble, the courtier should come to the rescue, this is the duty of a courtier." Lord Lu, you see, this time this king brought 5,000 elite soldiers, 10,000 loads of food, and follow-up troops on the way, you and I led the troops to last in this city for half a month, it should not be a problem. ”

Zhu Shiji's team was slowly entering the city, like a long dragon passing in front of him. Lu Wen saw that the cavalry and infantry were half each, and their elite armor and equipment, blades and halberds were even better than those of the elite soldiers under his command. In the middle of the procession, there were escorts of grain and grass, one cart after another, and there was no end in sight. Lu Wenyuan was secretly happy in his heart, thinking that with the help of the prince this time, he would be more confident in quelling the rebellion.