Youzhou, located in the northernmost part of the territory of the Daning Dynasty, the most narrow state and county in the Kyushu Dynasty is like an impregnable city wall, blocking the century-old enemy in the grassland for the people of Daning.

In fact, a 400-mile-long city wall was indeed built on the border of Youzhou.

Since the beginning of the dynasty, the Huns living on the grassland have never stopped the footsteps of the south, although the boundless grassland is their homeland, but compared with the rich and prosperous south, the resources of the vast grassland are too barren, which also makes the yearning for the south and coveting deeply engraved in the flesh and blood of this nation.

Starting from the first emperor, Daning went through several generations of efforts to build this barrier on the grassland border of Yima Pingchuan, and after nearly a hundred years of repair and filling in the gaps, it gradually had the magnificent fortress of nine sides and sixteen passes.

But few people know that outside the Nine-Sided Fortress, there are also many beacon fort towers, all of which are outposts set up for the construction of the Nine-Sided Fortress. In order to establish the nine-sided city defense, Daning paid too much price, not only the almost bottomless pit of throwing silver, but also the lives of generations of Daning men.

After all, the Huns would not sit idly by while watching a high wall that could intercept them from moving south.

These beacon fort towers scattered outside the Daning border are the first barrier against the grassland Xiongnu in the real sense, but few people know about it.

To this day, these beacons are still not dilapidated and collapsed, because there is still an army stationed in these forts, which has been lighting the sky of the northern grassland for the people of Daning for several years in the long night.

The name of this army was locked in the archives of the imperial military department, and it had long been dusty and had not been cared for for decades.

At that time, Emperor Fengtian issued a holy decree, and the new three major military governments in the north were registered, the Yingyang Army, the Beifu Army, and the Chongling Army. As the northern pillars of the imperial dynasty, the three major military governments attracted everyone's attention and enjoyed the unanimous praise of the government and the opposition, and it is understandable that they seemed to be forgotten outside the territory of the imperial dynasty.

But they have not forgotten who they are and what they have been calling for decades.

Lao Liu Tou is an authentic Jiangnan person, born in Yangzhou, a water town, one side of the water and soil to raise one side, even if he has been away from home for decades, but the authentic Wu Yue accent can not be changed.

More than ten years ago, with the holy decree of Emperor Fengtian spread to every corner of the dynasty, the old Liu Tou, who was still a hot-blooded man, immediately joined the army, first crossed the Nanjiang River by boat, and then traveled all the way to Youzhou, which is thousands of miles away from the south of the Yangtze River, and personally experienced the great war that he will never forget in his life.

After Emperor Fengtian went down to Beiyin Mountain, Lao Liu Tou stayed in the nine-sided fortress with some soldiers and horses, and a gray-bearded old soldier told them that the fort outside the nine-sided fortress also needed to be guarded. Lao Liu Tou is as discouraged as most people, they have already seen the environment outside Beisai, and it is difficult to say that it is not a life of people at all, lack of water, lack of food, and they have to face the vast grassland all day long, and they can't even see a ghost.

But when the old man's expectant eyes looked at him, he still gritted his teeth and took a step at that time, and now that he thinks back, he can still be angry and scrape his two big ears, and scold himself for being a ghost and getting on a thief ship.

This step is ten years.

There are two things that Lao Liu Tou has in his life to remember in the coffin, the Northern Expedition that he personally experienced, and the words that the old man said when he held his hand when he died.

"I know you regret it, the life of Fengbao is not as good as that of our nine borders, it doesn't matter if you hate me, but you have to remember that the location of Fengbao is my Daning territory, and no one is allowed to set foot in it. Around this beacon fort, there are all buried bones of our predecessors of the beacon army, and they are all watching from the sky! ”

Time has passed, and Lao Liu Tou has also become an old pawn, his beard and hair are half white, and he is wearing armor that has been passed down by the Fengsui Army for many years, and the rust can be raised when he scrapes it.

Old Liu Tou was lying on the beacon platform of the iron prison to bask in the sun, humming the Jiangnan water ballad that he couldn't remember his name, and the Daning flag erected on the side was hunting with the north wind on the grassland all day long.

This is the norm of the soldiers on the border of the iron fort, even the old Liu Tou forgot how long he hadn't seen the Huns, and in that big war, he seemed to have seen all the Hun faces that he could see in his life.

The days here are too boring and boring, except for basking in the sun all day long, wiping weapons and armor, and even the appearance of a fresh face is like a New Year, which can attract dozens of onlookers from the entire iron fortress.

A teenager climbed onto the beacon platform, and Lao Liu Tou opened one eye, and after seeing it, he asked in a thick Wu Yue accent: "Little boy, do you want to listen to the story again?" ”

The young man's name is Zhang Zhu, he is only sixteen years old, half a head taller than Lao Liu Tou, the standard northland boy looks, born with big shoulders and round waist, two powerful arms, riding and archery kung fu can be ranked first in the iron fort, even the chief of the iron fort praised this kid as a natural good seedling.

It's a pity that the best bow in the castle is only the arm weight of two stones, and Zhang Zhu can easily pull it away, and Lao Liu Tou estimates that this little kid has absolutely no problem with a hard bow with a long strength of three stones.

Zhang Zhu opened his mouth and said with a big grin: "Old Liutou, tell you good news, Sui Chang said that the next time someone from Yingyang Mansion comes, he will recommend me!" I'm going to be a soldier of Eagle Yang Mansion! ”

Old Liu Tou sighed, he couldn't see any change on his face, but he was very disappointed in his heart. Zhang Zhu is the youngest pawn in the Iron Fortress, and he likes to tease him on weekdays.

"Eagle Yang Mansion is good, good, people go to high places and the water flows to low places, and if you go to Eagle Yang Mansion, it will be regarded as giving us the face of the iron fort."

Lao Liu Tou said without a word, the young man didn't see Lao Liu's loss, squatted down and said, "Old Liu Tou, have you seen General Yingyang?" ”

Old Liu Tou was upset when he heard the news that the young man was leaving, and said impatiently: "Go, go, I'm not in the mood to tell a story today, won't you see General Yingyang when you go to Yingyang Mansion?" ”

The young man said with a dead face: "Why are you still angry!" Tell me about it, I can't listen to you a few times! ”

Lao Liu slapped the young man's head on the head, and snorted: "Bad luck! Can you talk, little brat? Listen until I'm done. ”

The young man didn't care about the rough skin and thick meat, and he helped Lao Liu to get up with a smile, and the two climbed down the beacon platform, and the lower floor was a small stone room, which was different from any room in the iron prison fort, a typical Jiangnan alley style.

Old Liu Tou lit the candlestick, and only the last candle was left, and the stone room instantly brightened.

In the middle is a bell, while on either side are a bronze mirror and a porcelain vase.

As soon as the bell rings in the east bottle and the west mirror, every household in the south of the Yangtze River has a column, implying a lifetime of happiness and peace.