On February 18, the dragon fought in the wilderness and won a great victory in the northwest.

The battle was fought extremely hard. It's not that the Northern Barbarians attacked frantically and didn't retreat, in fact, they had already had the idea of retreating in the first month, because they attacked several times, but they never broke through the city pass, but they lost many people. If it weren't for the fact that the weather seemed to be warmer than usual this winter, they would have been unable to support their retirement with their equipment.

However, whenever they have the intention of retreating, they can often win a battle and grab something. Naturally, these things were not enough to feed the army, let alone satisfy the leaders at all levels, but they were just right to arouse their greed and make them have a kind of thinking that "if the food and salary in the customs are insufficient, they may be able to win a great victory in a few more battles".

You must know that although the land in the northwest is barren, the people of Guannai can not only farm, but also trade, and their lives are much richer than if they only wandered on the grasslands. As long as you attack the city pass, all kinds of good things that are not available on the grassland are at your fingertips. And after the city pass is a horse Pingchuan, when the time comes, if they let go of the war horse to sweep around, they are afraid that there will be too much loot to get back......

Naturally, there are many people in the pass, and the city wall is high, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack. However, not all the city passes are so impregnable, and the people in the pass are good at infighting, and the army in the northwest is often detained, and there are many times in the past because the defenders are not well armed, so they take advantage.

This time, according to the news brought back by the spies who had infiltrated the city, as early as last summer, the imperial court had sent a number of people to divide the military power of the Northern Marquis in the Northwest Army. It must be known that in such a war, there are too many people in command and many orders are made, which will only hinder each other and delay the fighters. What's more, this is to decentralize power, and the infighting is even more powerful than in previous years, how can there be no loopholes to exploit?

It was with this idea in mind that the Northern Barbarian army dragged on until the end of the first month. At this time in previous years, they had already retreated into the depths of the grassland, but this year, except for a small number of people who cautiously withdrew according to the usual practice, most of them were hung by the greed, and they were still near the city pass. When they finally found that the city could not be breached, it was too late to retreat.

Who knows? Last year there was little rain, but this year the rain came very early. Before the sting, the rain began to fall, the hard frozen soil in the northwest gradually melted in the rain, the land became slippery and muddy, the horse walked on the top, the slightest carelessness will be a mistake, where can the speed be fast?

At this time, the Northwest Army poured out of the city, surrounded and intercepted, cut the Northern Barbarian Army into small pieces, and surrounded them separately.

In terms of horse riding, the Northwest Army is indeed inferior to the Northern Barbarian Army, which is why the Northern Barbarians come and go like the wind and have no fear-they bow and horses quickly, and the Northwest Army has always suffered losses here.

It's just that the ground is muddy and difficult to walk at this time, and even the horses of the gods will have to reduce their speed. And the Northwest Army wrapped the horses' hooves in non-slip coarse cloth, and the two sides turned out to be about the same. After the Northern Barbarian Army was divided and surrounded, the superiority and inferiority of the two sides in numbers became apparent.

The Northwest Army opened the way with horses, iron carts, and spears, advancing layer by layer, and once the Northern Barbarian Army lost the vast space for galloping, it was like Wang Ba turned over, although the four claws danced, there was no way. What's more, the Northern Barbarian Army really didn't have the hard shell of Wang Ba, and their armor was all leather armor, although it was light, it was far less strong than the iron armor. After the Northwest Army surrounded it, it was really bloodied and miserable.

In this great victory, the barbarian king of the Northern Barbarian Army was shot in the neck by a stray arrow, but fortunately several loyal subordinates were desperately rescued and fled into the depths of the grassland. Although he was not able to see his death with his own eyes, he was injured so much that there was a lack of medical treatment on the grassland, and most of them were incurable. And the Northern Barbarian is actually composed of multiple small tribes, although the barbarian king has the title of king, he is just like an alliance leader. If the alliance wins, of course, the alliance leader has a prominent reputation and a stable position, but if he loses like this at this moment, even if the barbarian king is still alive, his status will plummet, and no one will listen to his orders anymore.

Shen Shuze stood on the hillside outside Qingzhou City, looking ahead.

Beneath his feet was blood-stained ground, most of which had turned purple-black, except for the crimson blood that had not yet congealed where there were corpses. His own armor was also splattered with blood, both from the Northern Barbarians and his own.

"The prince is injured!" Chu Chu galloped over with a long knife in his hand, and saw Shen Shu's left shoulder red, and hurriedly said, "The ambulance team has come, Lord Wang, go and let them take a look, and clean the wound first." ”

Shen Shu glanced back, and sure enough, a team had already flown out of Qingzhou City, some carrying something that looked like a door panel, and some carrying a medicine box. These people are all wearing burlap clothes of natural color, and the chest of the clothes is embroidered with a thick cross with red thread, which at first glance looks like they are wearing linen and filial piety, but now in the northwest area, whether it is the army or the people, they are the happiest to see them.

As soon as they left the city gate, they dispersed into six teams of three, each with a stretcher and a medicine box. The wounded on the ground were first disposed of by the person carrying the medicine box, and then a strip of cloth was tied to the wounded of the wounded, and then if he could not move, he carried it back to the city on a stretcher, and if he could still move on his own, he walked back to the city by himself - there was a medical station within the city gate, and those who were slightly injured could go to the city for medical treatment by themselves.

The ambulance team started with more than 100 people in Taohua at the beginning, and now there is one such ambulance team in each of the three cities in the northwest, and the number of people is more than 100. If you add the "nurses" who take care of the sick and the handymen who work in the medical station, I am afraid that there will be no more than six or seven hundred people, and half of them are women, at least half of them.

"Let them save the soldiers first." Shen Shu looked down at the wound on his shoulder, and the bright red color on the robe came into view, which made him suddenly think of Taohua who was far away in the capital, "Bring wine." ”

Chu Yi picked up a small leather bag of liquor from his horse, and hesitated. Nowadays, this liquor is not used to drink, but is used to pour it on the wound to "disinfect" it, but it is too painful to pour on the wound, and it is much more sinful than going to the medical office to clean it.

"Lord Wang, or-" Before the first year of junior high school finished speaking, Shen Shu had already snatched his wine bag with his hand and poured the liquor in the bag on the wound.

A burning pain burst from the wound and instantly spread throughout the body. Shen Shu's eyebrows twitched uncontrollably and clenched his teeth. Chu Yi hurriedly took out the hemostatic scatter in the oiled paper bag and sprinkled it on him, wrapped it in the white linen cloth he was equipped with, his lips moved, and he swallowed the words back - the prince is simply masochistic, and eight to nine times out of ten he thinks of the princess and Brother Xu again.

Chu Yi followed Shen Shu's side, and there were some things that Shen Shuming didn't need to say that he also knew. Although the prince said that he believed in the emperor, but the princess was alone in the deep palace, the queen mother and the queen were eyeing each other, which was not a good thing, and the princess was pregnant, how could she live that day?

And the fact that the princess was trapped in the harem was something that the prince did not expect. In fact, no one expected that the queen would be so crazy that she would come up with such a vicious idea. Although the emperor did not have this intention, but planned it, but for the prince, it was a shame for a man to accidentally let his wife fall into the palace and not be able to protect his wife and children! No matter how many Northern Barbarians are killed, it will be difficult to vent this resentment.

And there is Brother Xu. A child who is just over a year old suddenly leaves his father and loses his mother, and he doesn't know what to cry about. Chu Yi thought of the meaty little master, and he also felt a pain in his heart. Even he was a little worried about the mint who followed the princess - if the princess still had the emperor's protection, then the mint was a slave, but the emperor didn't care much about life or death, if anything......

"Lord Wang, Lord Wang!" In the distance, a horse came at a gallop, running too fast, stumbling on the mud wet with rain and blood. Chu Yi recognized the person on the horse at a glance: "It's Brother Yin!" ”

Yin Zhongxing's armor was also splashed with blood, and his left leg was tightly wrapped with a strip of linen, oozing blood: "Lord Wang, Lord Hou was hit by an arrow!" ”

Shen Shu looked back, and saw that the expression on Yin Zhongxing's face was both shocked and angry, but it was not completely fake, and he was suddenly shocked: "Where is my uncle!" ”

Dingbei Hou had already been carried into the ambulance station, and Ding Langzhong, wearing a blood-stained white linen robe, was concentrating on stitching up his wounds. Xiao Ding Langzhong quietly withdrew and explained to Shen Shu: "This arrow shot very deeply, but it missed the point, it just bled too much, and it should be okay to take care of the good life." However, in the future, Hou Ye needs to pay attention to not fighting like this anymore, otherwise he may be damaged by Shouyuan. ”

Like Ding Langzhong, he wore a white linen robe, but the blood stains on his head almost stained the robe brown. This battle lasted for several months, and the people of the ambulance team usually took shifts, and when the battle situation was terrible, they had to go out together, and after a few days of fighting, they would be busy for a few days. At first, these robes could be washed in time, but now they are no longer cared for, because the wounded came one after another, and a few robes were not enough to change, and it was raining, and now there are many clothes that have been boiled in boiling water and dried and are roasted on the brazier.

"Thank you." Shen Shu said briefly. His eyes were red silk that had not slept for several days, and Xiao Ding Langzhong was the same. The two pairs of red eyes looked at each other for a while, and Xiao Ding Lang smiled with relief in his exhaustion: "I finally won." The prince worked hard. ”

"Lang Zhong is hard." Shen Shu nodded at him, "My uncle entrusted it to Ding Langzhong, but don't reveal it to outsiders, just say that he is seriously injured." ”

Since Ding Langzhong's father and son joined the ambulance team, their prestige in the northwest is really rising, and anyone who sees it must be polite, compared to the days when they could only treat pigs and save cattle in the countryside, it is like a world of earth. The father and son were grateful to Princess Anjun, and after listening to Shen Shu's words at this moment, they didn't ask much, and immediately agreed: "The prince just rest assured!" "No matter what the prince's intentions are, just do it anyway.

Shen Shu nodded again, turned his head and asked Yin Zhongxing, "Who released the arrow?" "Dingbei Hou has a lot of wounds on his body, but most of them are superficial flesh wounds, only this arrow is seriously injured, and it is shot from behind.

Yin Zhongxing's eyes were full of murderous aura: "As soon as his subordinates were about to inquire, someone died." "Needless to say, the one who died is the one who fired the arrow to the Marquis of Dingbei," although this person was brought by Du Jianjun, some people saw that he had a relationship with Zhou Qianzong. ”

Du Jianjun is a distant nephew of Du Neijian, and he is the emperor's person, so it can be inferred that the person he brought is naturally also the emperor's person.

Shen Shu's fingers clenched on the handle of the knife on his waist, and it took a long time before he slowly let go: "When the news came out, it was said that my uncle was seriously injured and unconscious." ”

Yin Zhongxing immediately understood what he meant: "It's just that someone will definitely come to visit ......"

"There is a recipe...... Shen Shu lowered his voice, "If you take it, people will fall asleep like death." "This is actually an anesthetic prescription, which is only used for major surgery, and it is improved by Taohua on the anesthesia prescription in Ding Langzhong, and he brought it over when he came to the northwest this time, because it is more difficult to make it, and it has not yet been applied in a large area, but I didn't expect it to come in handy now."

Yin Zhongxing had never heard of such a formula. If other Lang Zhong took it out, he would definitely have doubts - it was a medicine with three points of poison, and people could fall asleep like death after taking this medicine, which shows that the medicine is extremely strong, will not the mind be damaged? But now that Shen Shu said that it was Taohua's recipe, he immediately put his mind at ease: "My subordinates will arrange it!" ”

Although the Marquis of Dingbei is still the first person in the northwest, in fact, a considerable part of the northwest army has been taken over by people sent by the imperial court, so although the commander is seriously injured, the military affairs below are still going on.

First of all, of course, the statistical results. The Barbarian King was seriously injured and fled, and his left and right virtuous kings were not so lucky. Zuo Xianwang was caught up by Shen Shu when he fled, and the two fought hard for more than ten rounds, and Shen Shu beheaded him under his horse, and his head was different. King Youxian was shot in the leg in the rebellion, and his horse slipped again, and he pressed him down impartially, and before he could climb out, he was tied up by those who caught up behind him.

As for the various small leaders below, there were even more who were killed and captured, counting the captives and the severed heads, there were twelve or thirteen Northern Barbarian noble generals, and the rest of the ordinary Northern Barbarian soldiers were countless, and if you add the serious injuries and those who fled and might die on the road, I am afraid that there are forty or fifty thousand people.

In this way, this battle is simply an unprecedented victory. It must be known that the elite soldiers and horses of the Northern Barbarians are only 70,000 or 80,000 people, and the annihilation of as much as half of them in one fell swoop this time is enough to ensure that the Northern Barbarians will not be able to attack on a large scale within five years.

If the coach had not been seriously injured, the entire Northwest would have been even more jubilant than the New Year, but now, even when it comes to meritorious deeds, it is also overshadowed, and it always seems that the joy is not so thorough.

If you want to talk about meritorious deeds, Shen Shu's killing of King Zuo Xian is of course a great achievement. Because the barbarian king was hit by a stray arrow and did not die on the spot, and the right Xian king was tied up by a group of people, the credit cannot be counted on a certain person, so Shen Shu's credit is the greatest.

It's just that Shen Shu didn't participate in the matter of merit at all, he has been guarding the seriously injured Dingbei Hou, and Dingbei Hou has never woken up since the end of the war. The guards of the Yin family were all dark, going in and out of the army, and they didn't know what they were looking for. Some well-informed people said that the arrow in Dingbei Hou came from behind, that is, it was shot by his own people, and the archer was dead, and the Yin family was investigating the instructors behind it.

The news spread a lot, but no one confirmed it, so everything was just speculation. But Dingbei Hou was seriously injured, and Shen did not leave an inch, this is a fact. Although the guards of the Yin family did not mention the injury of Dingbei Hou, they were really forced to say that they were recuperating from their injuries, but most of them were saying that Dingbei Hou was afraid that this time it would not be.

Just when there was a lot of discussion outside, Shen Shu was talking to Yin Zhongxing in the "special care room" in the barracks: "All those anthrax horses have been released?" The people who let the horses have done proper protection? ”

Yin Zhongxing's expression was serious: "They are all protected according to what the princess said in the past, and the people who let the horses are now separated and isolated, and if they are safe after a month, they are allowed to enter the city." ”

"If this method can be achieved, I'm afraid that the Northern Barbarians will not want to attack again within ten years!" Speaking of this, Yin Zhongxing's iron-clad face actually showed a smile.

Shen Shu pondered for a moment: "Don't mention this matter to anyone again, let alone reveal a word to the princess." ”

"Yes." Although Yin Zhongxing answered, he was a little puzzled, "If this matter can be done, the princess is the first credit, why ......" Why don't you say it, let alone tell the princess?

Shen Shu shook his head: "The heart of the healer's parents." The princess is willing to use medical skills to save people, but she may not be willing to use medical skills to kill people. What's more—"What's more, if this anthrax spreads, there will be thousands of deaths from the Northern Barbarian disease, and there will probably be many ordinary people who will die." The two countries are enemies, and it is true that he can do everything, but if the princess knows, it is difficult to say what she will think, so it is better not to say anything.

"The princess is pregnant now, and she can't listen to these things......" When the words came to his lips, Shen Shu casually changed his words. Now that the war is over, he has more free time, and he misses Taohua even more. Calculate, now Taohua is almost pregnant, it must be not very convenient to move, and it will feel uncomfortable to sleep at night, when he was there, now she is alone in the palace, and I don't know if Mint can be thoughtful, and I don't know if the Queen Mother and the Queen are looking for her trouble......

"Lord Wang, Mr. Zhou Qian is here." Chu Yi whispered a reminder outside the door, Shen Shu immediately got up and entered the inner room, and Yin Zhongxing neatly climbed out of the window.

When Mr. Zhou Qian came in, what he saw was Shen Shu, who had just come out of the inner room with a tired face: "The prince is still injured, but you have to take care of your body." ”

Shen Shu only shook his head and didn't speak, and sat down on the chair with a golden knife: "What's the matter with Zhou Qian?" ”

His posture was quite rude, but how could Zhou Qian worry about him: "Lord Wang, the Marquis of Dingbei is ...... now"

"Uncle is fine and resting." Shen Shu interrupted him without waiting for him to finish.

The more he said this, the more down-to-earth Mr. Zhou Qian's heart became: "Xiaguan just wants to visit...... Hou Ye rested, and the lower officials didn't dare to disturb, just take a look. ”

He had already come three times, and Shen Shu couldn't keep him out, so he had to open the curtain of the inner room and said reluctantly: "In this case, Zhou Qian can just take a look here." ”

The barracks in the army were cramped, and even more so in the inner rooms, where the bed was almost a few steps away from the door. Although Mr. Zhou Qian was standing at the door, he was actually not far from standing at the head of the bed. From such a distance, he could see clearly, Dingbei Hou's face was sallow, the quilt on his body barely fluctuated, and the sound of breathing was even more breathless, not at all like the "very good" that Shen Shu said.

After only a moment, Mr. Zhou Qian had a number in his heart, and he didn't insist on going any further, but retreated: "Xia Guan heard that Hou Ye's arrow was shot from behind, I don't know if it's true?" ”

Shen Shu looked at him coldly for a moment: "Really." ”

Mr. Zhou Qian's body leaned forward suddenly: "If it's true, then I'm afraid that the lower official has something to say - Du Jianjun ...... there"

"I already know." Shen Shu's gaze was like a blade, "Commit suicide in fear of sin!" ”

Mr. Zhou Qian was stunned by his gaze, and forced himself to calm down: "Xia Guan is really ashamed, he has been with Du Jianjun for a long time, and he didn't even see that he arranged this matter......"

"Such a thing must be thoughtful, how do you know?" Shen Shu said coldly, "Now that the battle is over, how did Yu Ge Lao arrange it?" When will this king return to Beijing? ”

Zhou Qian always looked forward to him asking this. As long as he said that he wanted to return to Beijing, he agreed to Yu Ge Lao's proposal: "Ge Lao sent a letter to the prince. ”

Shen Shu took the letter and finished browsing it at a glance: "Offering prisoners? ”

"Exactly." Although this letter was nominally addressed to Shen Shu, of course Mr. Zhou Qian had already known the contents, "There are 3,000 prisoners this time, and if you return to Beijing to offer prisoners, you can bring at least 10,000 soldiers and horses!" ”

Shen Shu raised his eyes: "10,000 soldiers and horses, are you going to besiege the inner palace?" But there are still two battalions of troops in the capital! ”

Zhou Qian was confident: "The two battalions are outside the capital, as long as we close the four gates after entering the capital, although it is nothing." "The height of the walls of the capital is so strong that it is incomparable to the northwest city pass, and the two battalions of troops have no siege equipment, so they can't enter the capital for at least two or three days, and this time is enough to surround the inner palace ten times.

"What about the twelve guards in the palace?" Shen Shu's eyes lit up like two clusters of flames were dancing, "Don't think that Fang Qian has been removed from his position as a commander, and the twelve guards are all under your control." ”

"Of course not. But at least half of the people could command, and it was enough to stop Fang Qian. What's more, isn't there still the Northwest Army? Zhou Qian said confidently, "The only thing to worry about, the prince and the marquis's cronies, it is estimated that Du Jianjun will never let the prince take him to the capital." ”

Shen Shu's brows really furrowed: "Not bad." Surely he would have recommended some of the people who had taken him with him now...... Although not all of these people were subdued by him, ......"

Zhou Qian had long expected that it would be absolutely impossible for the Dingbei Hou Mansion to let the people of the imperial court subdue his army, and when he heard this, he said: "How many people can the prince command?" ”

Shen Shu's brows furrowed even tighter: "That is, about one percent." Originally, they were all military captains, but they have also been replaced a lot these days...... "The soldiers below are all generals who do whatever they say, and only those who can command the generals can indirectly command the soldiers who are under them."

He said that as soon as it was completed, Mr. Zhou Qian would automatically double. This is the case with Du Jianjun, and the people under him are estimated to be in this proportion. Thinking about it like this, it made him a little shocked - how many means they have used in the past six months, they can't even completely subdue these people under their own hands, which shows that the Dingbei Hou family has a strong control over the northwest.

"Don't worry. Du Jianjun can't all be taken prisoner by his family, that is to rob the merit. Zhou Qian said while thinking about sending a letter back to the capital to ask for Yu Ge Lao's idea, "This matter, the lower officials will find a way!" ”