Go north to Taihang Mountain, it is difficult He Weiwei. The sheep intestines are bent, and the wheels are destroyed. The trees are gloomy, and the north wind is sad. The bear squatted at me, and the tiger and leopard cried in the middle of the road. There are few people in the valley, and the rain and snow are so small. Stretch your neck and sigh, and travel far away.

My heart is so depressed that I want to return to the east. The bridge is deep in water, and the middle road is wandering. Confused and lost, there is no shelter in the twilight. The day of travel is far away, and the people and horses are hungry at the same time. Carry the bag to get paid, and the axe and ice are held as minc. The poems of the sad Dongshan make me mourn.

This song by Cao Cao "Bitter Cold Travel" tells the story of his experience of marching in the Taihang Mountains. The Taihang Mountains are located in the hinterland of the Central Plains, starting from the Yan Dynasty in the north, reaching the north bank of the Yellow River in the south, the mountains stretch for more than 800 miles, among which there are many cliffs and cliffs, full of deep valleys and ravines, especially known for "the road is difficult to walk". Even if a great hero like Cao Cao faces the sheep intestine trail in Taihang Mountain, he can only sigh "the wheel is destroyed". Later, during the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a strange person named Shen Kuo who knew astronomy and geography. In his book "Mengxi Writings", it is recorded that "between the cliffs, there are often snail shells and stones like bird eggs, and the stone walls are like belts", and he said, "This is the seashore of the past". It is conceivable that these 800 miles of Taihang Mountain are a vivid portrayal of the vicissitudes of the sea and the mulberry fields.

The story we are telling today took place in Taihang Mountain, but it was more than 1,000 years earlier than the Wei and Jin dynasties. At that time, the Central Plains region was ruled by large and small princes, and the total number of towns was said to be more than 800 towns. It's just that these 800 princes all respect the same lord of the world, that is, the Shang clan called "Dayi Shang" by the people of the time.

At the southern foot of Taihang Mountain, there is a place called "Yiyi", which is the area of Jiyuan, Henan today. Yiyi is located at the junction of Taihang Mountain and Wangwu Mountain, and it is a dangerous place to guard Yiguan. As the southernmost part of the "Taihang Eight Mountains", Yiguan is the most important road in the east-west traffic of Taihang Mountain. More than ten miles northwest of Yiyi, there is a camp of merchant troops located between the mountains, guarding the exit of Yiguan. The roads in the camp are vertical and horizontal, and hundreds of military tents are arranged in a very regular manner. white flags everywhere, hunting in the wind; Each flag is embroidered with a blackbird, fluttering in the wind as if it is about to fly.

At this time, the sun has sunk in the west, and the sky is cloudy, a scene of mountain rain is coming, and the valley is not visible. Fortunately, there are pine braziers all over the camp, and the soldiers in charge of guarding and patrolling can still see the road clearly.

In the east of the camp there is a big flag, decorated with ivory, which is the ivory flag. One of the tents under the Tooth Banner was particularly tall, and it was the Tooth Tent where the commander of the First Army lived. At this time, in the early spring, the so-called spring cold is steep, and the cold wind is wrapped in a breath of moisture, and the soldiers who are patrolling are shrinking their heads and sleeves, which is very uncomfortable. But in this tent, it is like a spring in March, and there is a charcoal brazier in the middle of the tent, and the charcoal burning in the pot is bright and dark, and the heat is constantly steaming up.

The floor of the tent was covered with felt, and near the brazier lay a table with a plate of cut mutton, a roast chicken, a copper bowl for wine, and a ladle for scooping wine. A man with a meaty face was sitting according to the case, holding a bronze jue in his hand. He raised his head and drank the wine from the jue, and his drunken eyes squinted at the two women kneeling beside the desk.

Both women had their heads bowed, their long hair hanging down so that they could not be seen clearly, but the clothes they wore were shabby and thin, but they could not hide the curves of their bodies. The drinking man looked hot, couldn't help but put down the wine, rubbed his hands, and grinned: "I didn't expect these two village women to be in good shape!" Lift your head up and let me see! ”

When one of the women heard this, she raised her head slightly, and she could see that she was a young woman in her twenties, and although she could not be called beautiful, she would be able to see it. Instead of looking up, the other woman covered her face with her hands and whimpered.

Seeing this, the man smiled, grabbed the roast chicken on the desk, and threw it at the second girl. The young woman picked up the roast chicken from the ground and nibbled on it. She ate so fast that in an instant only half of a chicken was left. Only then did she hand the rest of the chicken to the other woman and said, "You can eat some too." ”

The woman shook her head vigorously, without even looking at it, still sobbing. The fat man was a little impatient, and Hodi stood up, walked up to her, and pinched her jaw with one hand, forcing her to tilt her face up. At this time, I saw that she was just a teenage immature girl, crying so much at the moment, and I was so frightened that I didn't dare to open my eyes, even if it was a naturally beautiful embryo, if it changed like this, I am afraid that I would not be able to see where it went.

The man was really furious, slapped the girl with his backhand, and knocked the girl to the ground, and he cursed to himself: "Slut, I am a thousand-captain of a dignified businessman, it is your blessing to be able to serve me, what is there to cry about?" Then he kicked her again. Although the young woman was just kneeling to the side, she felt as if these punches and kicks had been hit on herself, and she trembled with fright, and the corners of her clothes trembled.

When the man saw the girl lying motionless on the ground, he was still puzzled, and he raised his foot and was about to beat him again, but the young woman thought to herself, "This little girl is so thin, how many more times can she be beaten?" If he were to be killed, this reckless man would be discouraged, and he would not know how he would torture me. In his eyes, my life is just like a mustard, even if I die here, who dares to theorize? Thinking of this, she hurriedly grabbed the man and said, "This little girl has not been hired, and she has annoyed the official, so if you dissipate your anger, let the slave and maid serve the adult." ”

When the man heard her say this, he sneered, "It turned out to be a chick." He leaned down, grabbed the girl by the hair, lifted her up and sat down, "You give me a good look, and learn how to serve the chief!" ”

The young woman had no choice but to remove the only piece of clothing she was wearing. The man's eyes lit up, and he took her into his arms and lay down on the felt.

The light from the brazier reflected the figures of all the people inside the tent, and everyone outside the tent knew what was going on inside. Even at the gate of the west end of the camp, two pawns on a corner tower were watching, as if watching a shadow puppet show.

One of them was a short, yellow-skinned middle-aged man with a wrinkled, weather-beaten face, a thin hand clutching a bronze ge, and the leather armor he wore was too long to fit well.

The young man beside him was a little pale, his arms were close to his body, and he said with envy: "It's better to be an official, he is merry and happy in the warm tent, but we are eating and drinking outside." ”

The middle-aged soldier said: "You should be content, you can finally eat enough to be a soldier in these years, which is already good." Who would want to come here if it wasn't for something to eat? ”

The young soldier was a little unsatisfied, and asked, "I haven't been here for a long time, and I can't figure out something. I have heard that if a general who leads an army returns victorious, the king of Shang will be rewarded greatly. But the generals on the border are not high, how can a commander who guards the customs be so romantic day and night? ”

"Hehe, do you think the guards at the border will have no oil and water to fish? We claim to have 2,000 garrisons here, but it would be nice to have 1,500,600 people, and the extra 4,500 people's salaries every year have fallen into the pockets of these guards. Besides, now is the time when there is no catch, and some women can accompany you as long as they give them a full meal, so what's so strange? ”

At that moment, a bolt of lightning pierced the sky, followed by a roar of rolling thunder. The rain also fell, and the valley was filled with clouds of mist.

The young soldier frowned and said, "If they lie about the head of the enemy like this, if the enemy comes to attack, aren't they afraid of insufficient troops?" ”

"Enemies? Where did the enemy come from? The middle-aged soldier said disdainfully, "This Taihang Mountain is from north to south, and there are eight passes like here, which is the so-called Taihang Eight Mountains." The ghost side often goes south from the military capital of the north, Puyin, Flying Fox and other places, and Jingcheng and Fukou are the necessary places for the earthwork and the workers to advance eastward, and even Baicheng and Taihang sometimes have to guarantee that there will be a sneak attack of the enemy. It's only our southernmost pass, and I've never heard of an enemy fighting here. I used to be guarding in the well, but then I was sent here, what do you think it was for? It's not that I dislike my age. This is where we old and weak soldiers are housed. As he spoke, he let out a long sigh and paused twice on the ground with the short ge in his hand, making two muffled sounds of "Duo Duo".

The young soldier sneered and said, "Isn't it better to have no enemies?" What is there to complain about. He pointed to a large drum placed in the corner tower, "If you want to knock it, just knock on it, it's quiet in the dead of night, and I'm afraid it's louder than thunder." ”

"Is that a casual knock? As soon as this drum sounded, there was an enemy situation, and more than 1,000 people in the entire camp had to get up and prepare for battle, which was not a joke. ”

At this time, the two of them heard some noise in the camp, they looked down, and found that because of the rain, some pine braziers in the camp were about to be extinguished, and a group of soldiers patrolling the camp complained that they could not see the road clearly, but the person in charge of guarding the braziers did not know where they had gone.

The middle-aged soldier probably felt that it was none of his business, and continued to chat: "By the way, seeing that you are young, why were you also assigned here?" ”

When the young soldier heard this, his face suddenly turned red. Fortunately, at this time, the black light is blind, and others can't see it. Why was I assigned to this place? He remembered that a few months ago, when he was training as a recruit, he was beaten twice by a big guy, and he grabbed him and threw him on the ground, almost breaking his backbone. What is even more embarrassing is that all the people around me were laughing at themselves at that time. The wounds on his body would heal in a few days, but the sense of shame still makes his heart ache faintly.

Seeing that he did not answer, the middle-aged soldier did not ask, nor did he ask any more questions, but turned around and stared at the mountains and forests outside the camp with his eyes. The young soldier followed his gaze, but saw nothing, and asked, "What are you looking at?" ”

The middle-aged soldier leaned out of the corner tower and muttered, "I just seem to have heard a sound outside...... and suddenly he heard a soft sound of "whoosh", and a feather arrow shot in from his left cheek and pierced out of his right cheek, causing him to bleed all over his face. His throat rattled, but he could no longer speak, and slowly sat down on the ground.

When the young soldier saw this horrific scene, he was so frightened that he stammered, "Get out of ...... What's out...... What's wrong? How, what to do? At this moment, a flash of lightning in the air illuminated the entire valley, and he caught a glimpse of countless black shadows emerging from the mountains and forests on both sides of the camp, and they were silently running towards the gate of the village.

He pointed outside and said to the middle-aged soldier, "Yes, yes... Enemy—" The middle-aged soldier couldn't answer, but slowly raised his hand and pointed to the big drum next to him. Only then did the young soldier wake up, stumbled to the big drum, trembled and raised the drum hammer, and struck hard, "knock", only three times, and suddenly only heard a huge crashing sound, and the whole gate shook violently. The young soldier put down the drum hammer in his hand in despair, he knew that there was no need to beat the drum anymore - it was the enemy striking the gate with a huge log, and the deafening sound reverberated in the valley, and the people in the camp should have woken up by now even if they slept to death.

Hundreds of soldiers near the gate immediately ran over, some climbed onto the gate and shot arrows downward, and some leaned against the gate to block the impact from the outside. However, due to the disrepair of the walled gate, the door was opened after only a dozen blows, and the young soldiers looked down and saw the locust-like enemy screaming and rushing into the camp, instantly destroying everything that stood in front of them. The sleeping soldiers in the tent were not yet fully dressed, some of them were killed by flying arrows as soon as they left the tent, and many more were wrapped in the lodging tent, and without even seeing the face of the enemy, they were stabbed to death with spears or hacked to death with knives without resistance.

Although the rest of the people are still desperately resisting, they are too few compared to the invading enemy, and they can only be defeated one after another. In the end, the defenders had only about 200 men left, and all of them retreated to the tent in the east.

At this time, in the tooth tent, the fat merchant commander hurriedly tied a white armor to his body, and the long hair that had not had time to be tied up could only be draped behind him; Holding a pheasant helmet in one hand and a long axe in the other, he rushed out in a rage and asked, "Which country are you from?" Don't you know that this is the pass of Dayi merchants? ”

A sturdy young man of eighteen or nineteen years old strode up to him, with anger on his face, and his eyes could almost burst into flames, and said, "Are you the general who guards the pass?" We are from the Zhou clan, my name is Zhou Chang! It's a big business who is here today! ”

When the commander saw Zhou Chang menacing, he was immediately discouraged and did not dare to be an enemy with him. He waved his hands and shouted, "Give it to me!" But he turned around and came behind the tent. There was a horse tethered to grazing, and he untied the ropes, stepped onto the horse, turned around and fled east.

He ran until midnight, and his clothes were already soaked in the rain, and he was really embarrassed. Seeing a city in the distance, he knew that this was to Echeng, so he rode his horse to the city. It's just that the city gates are closed at this time, where can I get in? He shouted loudly under the city gate for a long time, and only then did a man poke his head out of the city and say, "Who is making a noise here?" ”

He hurriedly said: "I am the guard of Yiguan, the commander of the great merchants, I have an urgent matter to enter the city, quickly open the door for me." ”

The man in the city sneered: "Full of nonsense, why did the guards of Yiguan come here in the middle of the night, let alone alone?" Do you think I'm a three-year-old? ”

The commander was speechless, and he couldn't tell the other party that he had escaped alone because the camp had been breached. He was ashamed and angry, so he had to drive his horse around the city and continue eastward. By the end of dawn, the horse had run hundreds of miles in a row, and it was really impossible to walk, and no matter how much it was whipped, it was useless.

finally managed to reach Suzhou City, and the commander had to enter the city to meet Lord Suhou. Su Hou is a generous person, seeing his dejected appearance, he knew something different, and ordered his subordinates to change a horse for him. The commander didn't dare to delay a little, and immediately got on his horse and set off after thanking Su Hou.

Fortunately, after passing through Sioux City, he entered the border of Dashang, and when he passed through Muyi, Moyi and other places, as long as he showed his seal, saying that there was an urgent military situation, the local Yi guards did not dare to embarrass him. He changed horses and not people along the way, and finally arrived in Yincheng before dusk. Yincheng is the royal capital of Dayi Shang, and he did not dare to gallop in the city, so he could only slowly go to Taishi Mansion with patience.

When he arrived at the Taishi Mansion, the commander was able to meet Taishi Xinqi. This Xin Gui was originally a prince, the lord of the Xin State, and his fief was in Xincheng on the west bank of the river, only because the king of Shang ordered him to serve as the post of Taishi, so he now lives in Yincheng. When Xin Hui learned of the enemy's situation, he did not dare to slack off, and asked him in detail about the encounter with the enemy. Before dawn the next day, Xin Gui rode to the palace and prepared to pay his respects to the king of Shang.

At this time, the son of Shang Dynasty was named Shang Xian. Although he has only inherited the throne for a few years, Shang Xian has great ambitions and is not willing to just be a king. Under his rule, the Shang Dynasty, a dynasty that lasted for hundreds of years, was thriving, and did not show any signs of twilight.

Xin Hui came to the Ming Hall where the ministers were discussing, and saw that there was a person who was already sitting in the Ming Hall, and it was Tsukasa Shangrong. Shang Rong is Shang Wang Xian's uncle, in fact, he is about the same age as Shang Xian, but he has a higher rank in the royal family. According to Xin Hui's knowledge, Shang Rong was already an official in the Shang King Wending Dynasty, and he was young and old, and he was steady, so Shang Xian appointed Shang Rong as a mound after he ascended the throne.

Xin Qi walked into the Ming Hall, sat on the ground, bowed to Shang Rong, and said, "Lord Tsukasa." ”

Shang Rong returned the salute and said, "Lord Taishi came so early today, is there something important?" ”

Xin Hui replied: "Lord Hui, last night I had to report that the camp of Yiguan had been captured by the Zhou side, and the whereabouts of the Zhou army were unknown. ”

Shang Rong sighed lightly: "Why is it that even a small country like Zhou Fang dares to come and invade my big business now?" ”

Xin Qi said: "Please don't worry about Lord Tsukazai, Zhou Fang is just a problem of ringworm and scabies, like a mantis arm as a car." ”

At this time, two more people came to the Ming Hall, and Xin Hui recognized that these two were Shang Xian's brothers, one was Ji Xu Yu and the other was Bi Gan. At that time, foreigners with fiefs like Xin Hui were called Hou, but the relatives of the Shang King did not call Hou but Zi after obtaining the fief, and Ji Xuyu's fief was in Jicheng, while Bigan's fief was Picheng. After several people greeted each other, Shang Rong told the two of them about the fall of Yiguan again.

Bigan was furious when he heard this: "Zhou Fang is blatantly rebellious!" Wait for me to tell the king, let me personally lead a large army, and I will definitely raze the city of Qizhou to the ground! ”

Ji Xu Yu said: "Lord Xinhou, Zhou Fangyuan is on the border of the Western Regions, why did we all hit the Yiguan camp, but we didn't receive any warning?" Could it be that the Zhou army gave birth to wings and flew to Yiguan? ”

Xin Hui said: "Lord Jizi, if Zhou Fang wants to go to Yiguan, there are only two roads to go, and if you take the land route, you must pass through the Yu country, and if you take the water route, you need to go through the Rui country." I have sent someone to inquire and I believe that news will be available soon. ”

At this time, the other ministers came to the Ming Hall one after another. I heard someone in the inner court shouting: "The king has arrived!" When all the officials heard this, they immediately sat upright, waiting for Shang Xian to arrive. Soon, a man who was nearly thirty years old strode into the Ming Hall, it was Shang Wang Xian. He sat facing south, and when the ministers had made the bow, he said, "All the ministers, please sit down." ”

At this time, Xin Qi reported to Shang Xian: "King, the night before yesterday, Zhou Fang secretly attacked the camp of Yiguan and took the camp overnight. Although it is not clear what the purpose of the Zhou side was to capture Yiguan, it is likely that they were coming to attack Yincheng. ”

Shang Xian was taken aback and said, "Was the Yiguan camp captured overnight?" This Taihang Eight Mountains has always been a barrier to defend Yincheng, how can it be so vulnerable? ”

The other ministers didn't answer, only Bigan couldn't wait to say: "Brother Wang, please let me lead an army, I will wipe out the invading Zhou army, and use their heads to pay tribute to the Emperor of Heaven and the ancestors of all generations!" ”

Shang Xian was not as impulsive as Bi Gan, he thought for a moment and asked, "Hasn't Zhou Fang already accepted the canonization and become a vassal of my Great Shang?" Why would a good guy come to attack us? ”

Shang Rong replied cautiously: "Before the collapse of Lord Wending, the first king, he ordered the execution of the imprisoned Zhou Houli. Although it has been a few years, the minister thinks that the Zhou side is in rebellion this time, and most of it is related to this. ”

Shang Xian recalled for a while and said, "I have also heard about this matter, but I don't know the details. What was the purpose of his father's execution of the Marquis of Zhou? ”

Shang Rong said: "Uh, this...... It seems that when Zhou Houli and Lord Wending were having a banquet, they were imprisoned because they were drunk and made disrespectful words. And he did not repent in prison, saying that he had been wronged, and often and often said some arrogant things, insulting the king, so he ......"

Shang Xian frowned and said, "When the ancestor and Ji Li were drinking and feasting, who else was present?" What kind of disrespectful words were spoken? ”

Shang Rong looked embarrassed and said, "At that time, there was no one else except the servant who served the wine. The minister didn't know the details. ”

Shang Xian felt that there might be hidden circumstances in this matter, but it was not appropriate to pursue it at this time, so he could only put it aside and investigate it later. So he asked again: "Lord Xin, Zhou Fang can break through the Yiguan camp overnight, so that we don't even have time to reinforce." I wonder how many soldiers they have? ”

Xin Ji shook his head and said, "The ministers have not yet found out the number of Zhou troops, and they don't even know where they are now. ”

Shang Xian turned to Shang Rong and said, "Now there are only 20,000 defenders in Yincheng, are there any soldiers and horses that can be mobilized elsewhere?" ”

Shang Rong replied: "Lord Youhou is leading an army of 30,000 to the east, but the war in the east is quite stalemate, if Lord Youhou is recalled now, the consequences are unpredictable. Taihang Bacheng defended the attack of the ghost side and the earth, and the troops were also very tight. There were guards ranging from three to five thousand in each battalion, and each place could send up to 1,000 people to help, and probably 7 or 8,000 people could be raised. He paused, and then added:

"It's just that even if the defenders of the Eight Mountains return to help, the few places that are close can only be rushed back in a few days, and those who are far away will need at least half a month. If the king decides to transfer troops from all over the world, the minister will immediately send the order. ”

Shang Xian nodded slowly, but at this time, he heard Xin Qi say: "Wait, the king doesn't have to go through so much trouble." ”

Shang Xian asked in surprise, "How do you say this?" ”

Xin Hui said: "The land of Zhou Fang is only 100 miles, and the household registration is only 3,000, how can there be spare strength to raise soldiers?" According to the minister's calculations, the Zhou side could recruit only about 3,000 soldiers. The so-called cutting chickens with cattle knives is more than enough to deal with the Zhou side with 20,000 soldiers in Yincheng, so why do you need to work hard to mobilize the people? ”

Shang Xian groaned: "With only 3,000 people, can you break through the Yiguan camp in one night? Besides, if Zhou Fang was really preparing to attack Yincheng, how could he only bring 3,000 people? He had a look of total disbelief on his face.

Xin Qi said again: "King Qiyu, the number of three thousand people is estimated by the ministers according to the grain that Zhou Fang can harvest in a year and the population of Zhou Fangguo, which may not be accurate, but it will not be very far behind. According to the spy report, Zhou Fang took advantage of the rain at night to sneak in front of the camp of Yiguan and smashed open the gate with a giant tree. In addition, the number of troops guarding the pass was less than 2,000, and they were usually negligent in taking precautions, so they would be broken by the Zhou people in one fell swoop. Now that we are prepared, we will not repeat the mistakes of the past, so please be relieved. ”

After hearing this, Shang Xian was still a little hesitant. At this time, one of the ministers suddenly said: "I have a word, I hope the king will listen to it." ”

When Xin Jia turned his head to look, he recognized that the person who spoke was Taibu Zuyin. Shang Xian looked at Zu Yin and said, "Lord Taibu, but it's okay to say it. ”

Zu Yin said: "The Zhou people came from afar through mountains and rivers, and I think they may not have many siege tools. And Yincheng since the ancestor Pangeng moved the capital here, has gone through more than 200 rituals, the ancestors of the past dynasties have been constantly repairing Yincheng, the danger of the city is self-evident. As long as we hold on to the city, no matter how many soldiers there are on the Zhou side, we will not be able to attack it in a hurry. What's more, the Zhou army may really be as Lord Xin said, but there are only a few thousand. No matter how many of them there are, we only need to wait until the Zhou Fang's soldiers are exhausted and the food and grass are cut off, and then go out of the city to face the battle, and the Zhou side will inevitably collapse at the first touch. ”

Some ministers agreed that this was the most appropriate response. Shang Xian shook his head and said, "Although this method is foolproof, it is never advisable. Let me ask, if a small Zhou party calls, we all retreat in the city to avoid fighting without fighting, how can the princes of the world be convinced? Will not the prestige of my Dayi merchant be lost? ”

For a while, the ministers were noisy and inconsistent. In order to calm the argument of the ministers, Shang Xian asked again: "Lord Taishi estimates how long it will take for the Zhou army to reach Yincheng?" ”

Xin Qi said: "Xiao Chen thought that Zhou Fang's sudden attack was to achieve a surprise effect and catch us off guard. At this moment, they must be heading towards Yin City as fast as possible, and it is expected that they will be able to reach the vicinity within two or three days. ”

Shang Xian said: "Zhou Fang is located in the upper reaches of Weishui, if you take a boat down the river, wouldn't it be faster to reach Yincheng through the big river?" If their purpose was to raid Yincheng, why did they have to take the pass by land? ”

Xin Ji thought for a while and replied: "First, I am afraid that the Zhou side does not have enough ships to transport all the soldiers over, so we can only transport troops across the river in batches first, and then march by land after the assembly is completed. Second, it is fast to go downstream, but once the war is unfavorable, it is difficult to retreat. The purpose of occupying Yiguan first by land is to leave a way back for future retreats. ”

Shang Xian said: "Well, I see. I don't know who the commander of the Zhou army is? This man was thoughtful, and had planned the retreat route before the attack, not like a reckless man who could only do brute force. ”

Xin Hui said: "The commander of the Zhou army, it is said that his name is Zhou Chang, and he is the eldest son of the late Zhou Hou. ”

"The eldest son of the late Marquis Zhou? How old is he? ”

At this time, Shang Rong interjected: "Therefore, Zhou Hou Jili is said to be under forty years old at the time of punishment. According to this calculation, his eldest son should not be very old. ”

"Hmph, in the end, it is a newborn calf that has the courage to touch the tiger's whiskers! I want to see what this Zhou Chang is capable of. ”

Xin Qi said: "King, you can't deceive him into underestimating him when he is young. Although Zhou Chang was young this time, his sneak attack on Yiguan this time was both concealed and swift, and it was also in line with the art of war. He took advantage of the fact that the main force of our army was fighting against Dongyi to attack, and the timing was just right. It's just ......" said this, Xin Qi was silent. Ji Xu hurriedly asked, "But what?" ”

"It's just that there is a huge difference in the strength of Zhou Fang and our big businessmen, and Zhou Fang has no chance of winning at all."

Shang Xian heard Xin Qi say this, and finally a relieved smile finally appeared on his face. He said, "So how do we deal with it at this moment?" ”

Xin Hui said: "At this moment, we are in the light, and the Zhou army is in the dark, if we act rashly, it will be very disadvantageous." I've sent all my scouts out to find out the whereabouts of the Zhou army, and we're going to hold our ground for now. When the traces of Zhou Jun are discovered, it will become that Zhou Fang is in the light and we are in the dark, so we will not be controlled by others. ”

Shang Xian nodded, and turned to discuss other political affairs with the ministers, and did not retreat from the court until noon. Xin Hui also returned to the Taishi Mansion, and the corresponding arrangements were not mentioned.

Two days later, Shang Xian was smiling in the courtyard of the palace watching a boy about ten years old practice swords with four guards. The boy was besieged by the guards, and it was evident that he was a little overwhelmed. Finally, after a few moves, one of the guards hit the boy in the right crotch, causing him to scream in pain. As soon as the guards saw that the boy was wounded, they all stopped attacking.

The boy was angry in his heart, threw the wooden sword in his hand on the ground, and said to Shang Xian: "Father, this is not fair, if they fight alone, none of them will be my opponents." ”

Shang Xian's face immediately became gloomy, and without saying a word, he picked up the wooden sword on the ground and motioned to the guards to attack him.

Several guards glanced at each other, and stabbed at Shang Xian with their swords. After Shang Xian blocked for a few rounds, he suddenly exerted his strength, and the wooden sword in his hand swung extremely quickly, stabbing one of the guards in the chest. Then another turn, with the power of his body turning, instantly knocked the wooden sword of one of the guards away. After he unexpectedly and quickly eliminated the two people, he was even more at ease, and after more than a dozen rounds, he finally knocked down all the remaining guards.

At this time, Shang Xian said to the boy: "Shou'er, if this is a battlefield and you are surrounded by several enemies, who will give you the opportunity to fight alone?" When there are a lot of enemies, you don't want to finish the battle in one go, but break them one by one, take out the weaker enemies first, and then deal with the stronger ones when you have free up. Do you understand? ”

It turned out that this boy was Shang Xian's sister-in-law, Shang Shou, who lowered his head and said, "The child knows." But what he thought to himself was: I don't have the strength of yours, and even if I use the same move, I won't be able to shoot down the guard's wooden sword.

Shang Xian nodded, returned the wooden sword to Shang Shou, and said, "Continue practicing." At this time, a palace attendant came to report: "King Qiyu, Lord Taishi asks to see." Shang Xian said, "Please come here, Lord Taishi." ”

After a short time, Xin Gui came to the courtyard and saw Shang Shou practicing his sword, so he stopped. Shang Xian beckoned to him and motioned for him to come over.

After meeting Shang Xian, Xin Qi said, "King, the Zhou army has occupied Qiyi, and it will not stop there. The spies reported that the Zhou army numbered about 4,000. ”

Shang Xian asked strangely, "Oh? Zhou Chang stayed in Zhuyi, how did he plan to do it? ”

Xin replied: "It is reported that the Zhou army did not bring any baggage at all, and each soldier only carried a few days of dry food with him when he set out. They must have occupied the city to plunder grain, which is the so-called strategy of feeding the enemy. In addition, they wanted to force our army to leave Yincheng to rescue the city, so that the Zhou side could wait for an opportunity to seek a decisive battle in the countryside. ”

Shang Xian was extremely angry for a while, but instead sneered twice, and said hatefully: "This Zhou Chang also underestimated me too much. Does he think I'll be so scared that I hide in the city and won't come out? It's just no one! ”

Xin Hui continued: "Zhou Chang's occupation of this place is very ingenious. This place is very close to Yincheng, and if the defenders of Yincheng pour out, then he will ......"

Shang Xian interrupted him and said, "Then he will be killed under Yin Cheng at any time!" A good Zhou Chang is so cunning, this is forcing us to always leave a part of the troops to defend, but we can't use it completely. If there are fewer troops sent out, they will be eaten by him bite by bite. ”

Xin Hui said: "Exactly, in short, now that Zhou Chang occupies the city, he is waiting for work and completely grasping the initiative." And I think that Zhou Chang will not be passive in the defense, and will definitely use the Luyi as a bait to set up an ambush halfway. ”

Shang Xian asked a little anxiously: "Since Lord Taishi has gained insight into Zhou Chang's tricks, is there a way to crack it?" ”

Xin Hui said firmly: "The minister has a plan to kill two birds with one stone. ”

Shang Xian saw that he was confident, and he was very happy in his heart, and hurriedly said: "What is the plan to kill two birds with one stone?" ”

"That is the king's own expedition. The first bird to be fought was Zhou Chang - he came with 4,000 men and horses, and even if he captured Yincheng, he would not be able to defend it, so Xiaochen speculated that his target was not Yincheng, but you, the king. Master Wending killed his father, and he will kill you to avenge your father. If the king himself goes on the expedition, Zhou Chang will definitely come to attack your troops regardless of everything. Once the king dragged Zhou Chang's main force and made him unable to withdraw, Yin Chengzhong could send reinforcements to form an encirclement of Zhou Chang and discipline him to fly with wings. ”

Shang Xian couldn't help laughing after hearing this: "Where is such a big bait as me placed, are you afraid that Zhou Chang won't take the bait?" But I don't know what this second bird is? ”

Xin Hui said: "The king has not long been on the throne, and you need to fight a victory to strengthen people's hearts. The current war between us and the Dongfang Yi people is evenly matched, and the battle with Zhou Chang is a sure victory. If you win, everyone will praise the king's wisdom and martial arts, and you will become a holy lord who is admired by all the people and obeyed by all the people. This is the second bird. ”

Shang Xian couldn't help but nod and said, "Okay!" Good! According to what Master Taishi said, I will personally behead Zhou Chang. Also, this place is so important that I want to build a new city in the future. ”