The famine in Yangzhou is actually just one of the many troubles in Erlang's hands that is not very urgent.

Even more tricky for him was the siege of Shouchun.

Due to the rout of the front, a large area of Huaibei fell into the hands of the enemy. In mid-September, the Eastern Wei State gathered a three-way army to besiege Shouchun, an important town in Huainan. Once Shouchun lost the Eastern Wei army and crossed the Huai River, the front would soon advance to the Yangtze River, and the situation in Jiankang would be critical.

But the news on the front line was mixed, and by the time Jiankang confirmed that Shouchun was under siege, it was late September.

Most of the remaining forces of the imperial court were pinned down on the front line of Runan, so they were helpless against the situation in Shouchun. can only rely on Xu Mao to hold on and wait for the imperial court to send reinforcements.

Under the siege of more than 200,000 troops, no one knows how long Shouchun can hold out. Some people have already proposed to re-garrison Jingkou and strengthen the defense of Shicheng and patrols on the river—this is clearly a preparation for abandoning Huainan and retreating to the Yangtze River.

Erlang thought sarcastically: Fortunately, the Yangtze River is longpan, the stone tiger is located, and the defense of Jiankang City is impregnable. They don't have to prepare to surrender to the enemy and lose their country

Jiro did have more reason than others to worry about the siege of Shouchun.

Don't worry about it - the person who is besieged in Shouchun is his own uncle.

Erlang is the assassin of Yangzhou, who holds the power of the military, government, money and grain in a state, and is also the closest to Xuzhou. He can go to save Xu Mao, but the problem is that there is a famine in Yangzhou, and it is impossible for the army to rush to Shouchun on an empty stomach. How to raise military rations was the biggest crisis facing the Yangzhou shogunate.

Ruyi gave him 76,000 pieces of grain at this time. It's not much, but it does solve his urgent need.

However, Erlang's army failed to attack Huainan to relieve the siege of Shouchun.

Because the Runan rebels preceded the Western Wei army and approached the Yangtze River.

days and October of the fifth year.

Early morning.

When the red sun is about to rise, the river is filled with mist. The Zhouzhu tidal flat is still sunk in darkness, and only the white water and black soil are seen from afar, and the wind blows the reeds. When the pole of the fishing boat broke through the river and woke up the waterfowl, the gulls and herons flapped their wings and soared into the air.

When Ruyi returned from morning exercise, passing by here, she suddenly remembered the scene when she sent Xu Yi on an expedition in October last year. It turns out that the autumn scenery of that day is no different from today.

The sun and the moon reincarnate and the seasons change, year after year. The new scene is like the old one.

But the meeting of the expected year has come, but the person who made an appointment with her has not returned.

The wind on the river was strong, she was stunned for a moment, and the green scarf that tied her hair was blown away by the river wind.

She sat down on the trestle, thinking about the official documents she had read yesterday that had not yet been disposed of, and holding her hair in her hands—the longer she lived in Changgan, the more vague her identity as a princess became. Although she didn't come to the river barefoot with a wooden basin to pound clothes like an ordinary woman here, if she wanted to go out alone to relax, the maids and servants in her house could already deal with it calmly.

That's why she can be so quiet, alone.

After all, she was raised by serving, and she was half-hearted, fiddling with her hair for a long time, and only pulling out a crooked bun. She didn't care much about it, and tied it with a green scarf

He leaned over and stirred the river water, and used it to wet his hands.

As she was about to get up, she heard a chuckle when a young man sat up on a lonely boat next to her.

It turned out that he was lying in the boat with his arms on his pillow, and because he was against the waves, Ruyi didn't notice the reads;

The young man sat against the light, his appearance was cheerful and clear. For a moment, Ruyi looked at him, as if she saw an old friend, the river fog was damp, her eyes and eyelashes were full of moisture, and she couldn't distinguish it for a while.

"That's how the ancient poems came about." He chuckled.

Ruyi suddenly came back to her senses when the voice sounded, and she hurriedly lowered her eyes and wiped her cheeks sideways. Cover up the fog and disappointment in your eyes.

- That's not Xu Yi.

But it's really an old man. Ruyi didn't remember the young man's appearance, but she at least remembered the extraordinarily thin long knife on his back, and he still held it even when he slept on the boat.

What's more, in fact, this young man has a unique temperament and outstanding appearance, and she actually remembers his appearance.

She still remembered that when she first met, he used a handful of reeds to tease her bad deeds, and thought that the ancient poems he said this time were just the words of "the Han girl of the Kyaukyao River" and "slender hands" and other clever teasing people, so she refused to answer his words. He said, "It turned out to be you." Don't come to the past for years, don't come unharmed? ”

The young man's eyes lit up, and he smiled and asked, "—do you remember me?" ”

Ruyi said frankly, "Yes." I guess you remember me. ”

"That's nature." The young man smiled and said, "It's a pity that I still can't repay you for the meal that day, this time I'm really penniless-" As he said this, he smiled and looked at Ruyi again, "Can you give me another good meal?" ”

He said without any embarrassment, but like a breeze, the moon was clear, clean and open.

Ruyi said, "Okay." ”

Just after that, the tea stall in front of the Zhu fence set up tables and chairs again, and Ruyi was still there to invite him.

He didn't dislike shabby, and ordered three liters of rice with a pot of steamed fish and a pot of tea as usual. Ruyi saw that he ate sweetly, and he was a little hungry, so he also ordered a bean curd.

The wooden spoon used in the tea shop is rough and fat, and the handle of the spoon is still a little greasy. She is used to eating and drinking, and she is not very comfortable for a while. I finally used such a blunt spoon to cut the bean curd and scoop it up, but I couldn't bring the spoon to my lips with a nice etiquette to drink, and I accidentally spilled the soup. When she finally ate her first bite of breakfast clumsily and with difficulty, the teenager opposite finally couldn't help laughing, "You were fed by someone, right?" ”

Wishful:......

He scooped a spoonful of fish soup and motioned for her to show it.

Ruyi took a sip in response to his "pointing" that was more like a mockery than a demonstration. After fighting back, he refused to drink it again - the bean curd was salty and coarsely seasoned, and it was really hard to swallow.

The boy only smiled. After eating his share, he picked up the bowl again, tapped the side of the bowl with a spoon, and said, "You don't drink it, do you?" ”

Ruyi nodded a little puzzled, and the young man quickly picked up the bowl and drank the bowl of bean curd with relish.

Unexpectedly, he ate the rest of her food from her bowl, and subconsciously stood up and took a step back, his face flushed.

He was still puzzled, "What's wrong?" ”

Ruyi stammered and couldn't speak, so he could only eat this stuffy loss, turned his head and said, "...... The leg is numb, get up and move the activity reads;. ”

I don't know when the sun has risen, and for a while the wind is calm, and the waves on the river are fine. It seemed that another ferry boat had docked, and four or five people had come to the tea stall one after another. All of them are tall and tall. Tomorrow and tomorrow will be sunny and rainless, and the sun will not be sunny, but they will all wear hats, and their faces will be hidden in the shadows in their pockets. It is the appearance of a rough person, but the big rough hand that can be pressed on the package, but the complexion is very white.

Ruyi couldn't help but be a little concerned, thinking that the shape of the package was flat and long, not like ordinary luggage.

The young man suddenly drew her attention and said, "You haven't asked my name, have you?" ”

Ruyi no longer has the curiosity she had about this young man when they first met - this young man has not changed, he is still interesting and relatable, but now her mentality is indeed a little withered. She only said absentmindedly, "Pingshui meets......

"My name is Gu Jinglou." The young man spoke neatly, and then smiled again, "This time I'm coming back from the north, don't you want to ask me if there's any news from the north?" ”

When Ruyi realized the possibility hidden in his words, she couldn't help but widen her eyes. Her heart woke up little by little in this morning light. Something called hope, even if it was vague and unreliable, made her run in vain again and again, was suddenly lit up.

She couldn't help but say eagerly, "Have you been—"

But before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by the harsh friction of metal and leather. It was the friction sound of Su Tie's broadsword suddenly unsheathed, the blade was broad, the sword was slightly warped, and there was a unique heavy sound of unsheathing. This knife can be lightly slashed with thirty piercing armor, and it is the most commonly used chopping weapon on the battlefield. Even though Ruyi's perception of murderous aura was sluggish, when such a heavy big knife slashed from behind the side with the knife wind, her body immediately reacted and dodged to dodge.

And Gu Jinglou was even faster than her, he had already pulled out his long knife and stepped forward, cutting off the hand that the big man held and cutting off his wrist. The big man raised his broken arm and wailed, and Gu Jinglou grabbed the big man's collar with his side hand and used him as a shield to block the rest of the hats. The big man died under the blade of his companion in a moment, and Gu Jinglou saw that the people in the hat had no concern, so he also abandoned him and pushed him away.

His sword was extremely fast, and only afterimages were seen. With a twist of his feet, he stepped forward and grabbed another broadsword. He was a full circle smaller than these big men, and the long knife in his hand was extremely thin and steep—not even thicker than the blade of a broadsword, but it didn't fall under the touch of a button.

Ruyi has been practicing martial arts for ten years, and this is her first battle. But maybe it was because she was full of only thinking about asking for news from the young man's mouth, and she obviously saw the light of swords, blood and stumps flying, but she didn't have much fear. Although his face was pale and his mind was dull, he was not afraid to escape.

Those hat-bearers had already abandoned her and joined forces to besiege Gu Jinglou. After a brief moment of confusion, Ruyi quickly came back to her senses. She was afraid that Gu Jinglou would not be able to support herself, so she turned around and went into the tea shop to find a weapon. She was aimless, entered the room and picked up a chair randomly, and saw the shopkeeper and the little second brother under the table next to her hugging their heads and shrinking their heads. Looking up at Ruyi's gaze, it seems that she is also a Tai Sui.

Ruyi hugged the bench, his body was still splashed with the blood of the hat man, his face was a little stiff due to nervousness, and asked, "Is there a knife, it needs to be long." ”

The little second brother glared at her, raised his finger and pointed, "...... There are hatchets hanging on the walls. ”

Ruyi followed the foot of his finger to get the firewood knife and asked, "Do you know He Manrudder?" ”

The shopkeeper and the little second brother both said "recognize". Ruyi waved the firewood knife to try his hand, and was about to go out. But he didn't forget to say, "Don't hide here - go to He Manruo, and say that something happened to the young master." ”

Gu Jinglou was torn between four or five gangsters. Although he didn't expect Ruyi's combat power, Ruyi turned around and ran away without saying a word, which really disappointed him.

- Anyway, give him a chance to say "I'll resist, you run first" and then run;

And even if you don't wait for him to say it, at least give him a strong voice and explain something before he escapes.

As a result, as soon as he turned around, he saw Ruyi rushing back with a firewood knife.

Gu Jinglou: ......

Gu Jinglou returned to Ruyi's side.

The two of them stood with their backs, although Gu Jinglou was young, but his long knife was sharp and his people were brave, and those people who fought hats did not dare to swarm for a while.

Gu Jinglou took a short knife more than a foot long from his back waist and gave it to Ruyi, and said, "Use this." Be careful - this blade is quenched with poison, and the throat is sealed with blood. ”

The faces of those hat-bearers changed unconsciously, and their expressions became more and more cautious.

Ruyi took the knife and shook off the scabbard, but instead of throwing away the firewood knife, she held the knife in both hands - both knives were too short, which made her feel very insecure. Her breath was a little nervous, but fortunately, she had been practicing martial arts for a long time, and many habits had already penetrated into her bone marrow, and her gait and posture did not show flaws.

She asked, "Who are these people?" ”

In the previous battle, the hats of these people had been cut open or thrown away, revealing the faces under the hats—most of them had high noses and deep eyes, eagle eyes, and fierce faces. It is clearly not the appearance of the Han people in the Central Plains.

Gu Jinglou was on guard with a sword in both hands, his eyes were slightly excited like a bloodthirsty lone wolf, and he became more and more combative under the disadvantage. While observing the situation, he said, "These are all Qianhu, who chased me all the way from Runan to Jinling, just because I heard the news - are you sure you still want to ask me?" ”

Ruyi said, "Do you have any news about the Northern Expedition?" ”

Gu Jinglou said, "Yes." ”

Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief, calmed his breath, and said, "Then let's kill it." ”

The short confrontation was finally broken, and those hat-fighters attacked again, and Ruyi and Gu Jinglou also stepped forward separately.

After all, Ruyi was fighting for the first time, and she didn't dare to engage these people in close combat. The wind of the broadsword made her ears hurt, and she knew very well that as long as she was swept away, she would break her muscles and bones. But the martial arts she practiced were already dexterous, but the kung fu of those hat-bearers was simple and gravity-bearing, so she didn't have a hard time dodging.

She entangled a person, and Gu Jinglou's side was much more relaxed. But with the first and third, it can't have the upper hand for a while.

In the middle of the stalemate, Ruyi heard a whistle from afar, and someone shouted, "Less in charge, stay away!" ”

Ruyi's heart perked up, and he leaned over to avoid the blades swept by the hat-taker. As soon as you kick your feet, you want to jump out of the battle circle.

However, the hat man realized that reinforcements had arrived, but he refused to let Ruyi leave—she was clearly the weakest and noble one in the group, and she happened to be used as a hostage.

He forcibly spun his upper body, and the direction of the long knife was immediately reversed, and the back of the knife swung towards Ruyi's back.

Ruyi noticed the sound of the wind behind the broadsword, and the blade was clearly coming towards her neck. All she could think of was the trajectory of the broadsword for a while.

- There is no way to avoid it. She thought.

For some reason, she was afraid of the broadsword and couldn't read. At this moment, he was like an outlaw, his mind was so calm that he couldn't even detect the slightest fear.

She forced her turn in the air and used her twin knives to block the broadslash that had swung at her. She wasn't a real fight, she actually followed the hateman's slash to remove his blade. Most of the force has been removed, but his hands are still numb. But she swayed under her feet, stood firm, and took a few steps backwards with the help of her strength.

And a long arrow of white feathers pierced at this moment, nailing into the chest of the man with the hat.

The arrow was so powerful that almost the entire body of the arrow was gone, and only a section of the arrow feather was exposed.

The situation has been reversed, but the three hats did not retreat but advanced, almost using the means of exchanging their lives for their lives to kill Gu Jinglou, and they would rather take their lives than kill him.

However, the archers brought by He Manduo were extremely calm and bold, and they shot again in such a close and fierce dogfight, shooting a hat man.

At this moment, He Manru and his entourage had already rushed to Ruyi's side, Ruyi raised his hand and pointed, "Help that thin knife!" ”

In fact, she didn't need to explain - the other two looked like Hu Ren, and He Manduo and others had already rushed up. Ruyi had to tell again, "Leave a living mouth." ”

Gu Jinglou had already come out and stood aside with Ruyi and watched He Manduo and them bully more and less.

"Are you a young man?"

Wishful:......

Ruyi didn't answer, and he didn't care. Squinted slightly and looked at the battle situation for a while, and suddenly asked, "Where did you learn from?" ”

He had already seen that Ruyi was a practitioner - her posture was light when she got up from the trestle, and her footwork was smooth and agile when she turned around, and the shadow of her body was everywhere. Before coming to the tea stall, he deliberately stepped on the rotten wood by the river and tripped her for a while, although he didn't see her teacher's inheritance, but deduced that she must have practiced martial arts since childhood.

And the whole set of body techniques that stabilized her body after turning around and holding the long knife in the air, if he was not mistaken, I am afraid that she would be in the same vein as him.

Ruyi still didn't answer.

He Manduo and the others failed to capture the two Hu people in time - they saw that there was no way to escape, so they wiped their necks and committed suicide.

Ruyi was stunned for a while.

In the best place in the capital, the princess of a country almost died at the hands of the Hu people, which means that she can vaguely detect it. She didn't have pity for these gangsters, but...... So that's what killing is like? She only felt that her body was sticky and bloody, and the breath in her nose was disgusting.

It took her moment to realize that she still had the two knives firmly in her hands. She tried to raise her hand to return the short knife to Gu Jinglou, but her hand was so sore that she couldn't lift it.

She silently turned her back and said, "Go to the government office to report the case." ”

"Xiao Liuli." There was a sound behind him.

Ruyi woke up in his head, and subconsciously looked up to look for it, thinking that Liuli had also come here? But who is so bold as to call the princess by her name?

When he saw Gu Jinglou looking at her with smiling eyes, he realized that it was him who called.

She looked at Gu Jinglou vigilantly and suspiciously.

Gu Jinglou said with a smile, "My father Jiangzhou assassinated Gu Changzhou, I am his son-in-law, Mingjinglou, the word Lingyun." ”