As he spoke, the army had already walked out of the dangerous place where he was going to and from Shangyong, and then it was into the hinterland of Shangyong.

At this time, Xiong Huai obviously felt that the water flow under his feet had calmed down again, and the two sides of the river were no longer lofty mountains, and his vision was gradually broadening, and he seemed to have a sense of sudden enlightenment.

A day later, the army arrived at Xunyang, the most upstream ferry port in the Han River, and further up, the slightly larger ships were no longer passable.

Therefore, when they arrived here, Xiong Huai and others abandoned the boat and walked up, continuing to swim towards the Han River.

At noon the next day, when Xiong Huai led the army to arrive at the military camp where Zhao Rat was thirty miles away, he saw a Chu army of more than 1,000 people in front of him from a distance, staying quietly in front.

This is the team that Zhao Rat personally came to greet him, and Xiong Huai has long known about this from the scout's mouth.

Therefore, Xionghuai's carriage continued to move forward.

After a while, Xiong Huai saw four people coming from afar.

Then, a scout came to report: "King, General Zhao Rat is leading three generals to meet the king!" ”

Xiong Huai nodded, and then instructed Gongsun Yan: "Rhino head, pass the order, the army will slow down." ”

Saying that, Xiong Huai ordered Deng Lingguang, who was driving the car, and ordered: "Order, the king's car is forward, and the widow must personally greet the general Zhao Rat!" ”

Soon after Xiong Huai's chariot stopped at the front of the Chu army, Zhao Rat took the three generals to twenty steps in front of the army.

Then, after the three generals stopped in place to worship, Zhao Rat saw the King of Chu get out of the car, and immediately took ten steps forward alone, and bowed to the King of Chu who was walking towards him: "General Zhao Rat greets the king!" ”

When Zhao Rat moved forward, Xiong Huai kept a lot of attention to him.

Seeing that he was dressed in a military uniform, under a wide helmet, revealing a few strands of gray hair, a thin face, and confused eyes, if it weren't for that armor, it would make people think that he was just an ordinary old man.

Looking at Zhao Rat's thin body, Xiong Huai compared him with the strong general with sharp eyes in his memory, except for that familiar face, which was basically the same as ten years ago.

Seeing this, Xiong Huai instantly realized in his heart: General Zhao Rat is really old and unbearable.

Thinking about it, he didn't wait for Zhao Rat to come to salute, so he immediately got out of the carriage and walked towards Zhao Rat who was walking over.

Waiting for Zhao Rat to bow down, Xiong Huai took three steps forward, and then personally helped Zhao Rat up, held Zhao Mouse's hand hard, looked at Zhao Mouse's face, and said sadly: "Before the widow received the general's letter, the first time I heard that the general thought that he was old, the widow thought that the general was dissatisfied with the widow, I don't want to, I saw the general today..."

Speaking of this, Xiong Huai's eyes flashed with a hint of shame, and he choked up and said: "I don't want the general to be here, the widow has put the general here for ten years, it's really a bad general!" ”

"King!" When Zhao Rat heard this, he burst into tears, and immediately bowed again: "As a minister of the king, it is the duty of the minister to share the worries of the king and serve the Chu State. Now, with the king's word of relief, even if the minister dies in battle, he will die without regrets. ”

Xiong Huai pulled Zhao Rat up again and said: "Now that the Chu State is in an unprecedented and prosperous state, the widow will still need the general to serve in the future, why should the general make such an unlucky statement." ”

When Zhao Rat heard this, he immediately blamed himself: "King, it is the minister who has lost his word. ”

At this time, after Xiong Huai came into close contact with the Zhao Rat, he noticed a detail: every time the Zhao Rat took a small breath, he exhaled a long breath.

At first, Xiong Huai thought that this was because Zhao Rat was tired from walking quickly, but after communicating for a while, Xiong Huai found that it was not, it was just the normal state of Zhao Mouse.

After perceiving this, Xiong Huai secretly exclaimed: It seems that Zhao Rat's illness is not a lie, but very weak, and his time is really running out. If you recuperate in peace, you may be able to live for three or five years, but if you are overworked, I am afraid that ten days are really numbered.

Thinking about it, Xiong Huai shook his head violently, then looked around, and said to Zhao Rat: "General, this is not the place to talk, please go to the general's camp with the widow to catch up with the old days!" ”

Zhao Rat immediately responded: "Yes, the king, please let the ministers drive the king and open the way for the king!" ”

After Xiong Huai saw Zhao Rat saluting, he was about to turn around and go back to command the army to open the way, and immediately said: "The widow and the general have not seen each other for many years, and they are about to talk to the general, and the general will let others open the way in front, so the general will stay on the side of the widow and go to the camp with the widow!" ”

Hearing this, Zhao Rat nodded vigorously and said, "Thank you, King Love!" ”

Then, after Xiong Huai boarded the carriage, in order to show his closeness, he deliberately let Zhao Rat get on the carriage and be the right of the king of Chu.

Soon after.

The Chu army brought by Zhao Rat quickly moved forward, and then, the Chu army led by Xiong Huai followed closely and moved forward quickly.

While Xiong Huai and Zhao Rat were talking, the army galloped forward for more than ten miles, and then came to a place with relatively open terrain.

Xiong Huai saw a large field on both sides of the road, and there were still a lot of residual corn stems and leaves in the ground, which clearly looked like it had not been harvested for a long time, so he couldn't help but look at it curiously.

Seeing this, Zhao Rat immediately spoke: "The king, since the minister heard that the king was going to hoard food to prepare for war, the minister has expanded the scale of the army's tuntian, and this is the military field that the minister has opened up in recent years. In recent years, the minister led the sergeants to plant a large amount of corn every year to reduce the pressure on food in the rear.

Since three years ago, the minister has achieved self-sufficiency in military food, and has not let Hanzhong Shangyong transport a single piece of grain. Not only that, but the minister has also accumulated a lot of food in recent years, just in case he needs it from time to time..."

Xiong Huai listened to Zhao Rat's words, looked at the fields that kept passing from both sides, and the picture of Zhao Rat's past few years that he had nothing to do but lead the army to Tun Tian came to his mind, thinking about it, he couldn't help but sigh: "In the past few years, I have been a fortunate general!" ”

Zhao Rat froze for a moment, and there was a hint of confusion in his eyes.

In the past few years, for him, he is not tired, he is not tired, but he is also very tired.

Say not tired, that is, the body is not tired, in the past ten years, there has been no war in Hanzhong, and Zhao Rat is very relaxed.

Let's say tired, that's tired.

Ten years ago, Zhao Rat led 100,000 Chu troops to Hanzhong with enthusiasm and ambition, wanting to solve Bashu and Nanzheng for the Chu State.

At that time, Jing Cui led the Qi and Chu coalition forces to defeat the Qin army and then besiege Korea, threatening Hangu Pass, Qu Kuo led the army to surround Yuzhong, and he led the army to force Nanzheng, which can be described as a moment of ambition and infinite scenery.

However, before attacking Nanzheng, the situation in the world suddenly changed, Qin and Chu negotiated peace, Qi and Chu broke off diplomatic relations, and the matter of attacking Qin was put on hold.

And the 100,000 Chu troops in his hands have been transferred away 90,000 one after another, and the remaining 10,000 are still being replaced, and the only thing that remains unchanged is him, the general.

At the beginning, when the army in his hands had just been transferred, he still had some expectations, expecting that after the success of the King of Chu's invasion of Qi, he would turn around and attack the Qin State.

However, with the news that the King of Chu was going to blockade the Qin State, he was completely disappointed.

During that time, he thought about how to cut down Qin every day, but what he did every day was either to take his soldiers to tuntian, or to take them to cut down wood and fortify.

From disappointment and hope swaying back and forth in his heart, to the final hopelessness, his heart was completely tired for so many years.