After hearing the news brought by the herald, Jian Shuo sneered: "Hey, Yuan Benchu! ”

Chen Cheng immediately said, "Let's go back to the palace first." ”

The Xiyuan army brought by Yue Cai and Jian Shuo slowly retreated, and on the opposite side of the city, Zhou Bi watched the enemy retreat, and thought for a while with a calm face. Just now he saw it clear from the city that Chen Cheng's man shot twenty arrows on his horse and killed twenty-one of his own people, of which twenty were middle and low-level officers.

In the face of such a terrifying marksman, anyone has to think about it a few times. Besides, although the other party is retreating, the formation is tight, and it is not a good idea to attack rashly. While thinking about it, he saw that Chen Cheng had also retreated into the palace wall, so he went down the city and went straight to the White Tiger Temple.

In the lobby of the White Tiger Temple, He Jin was discussing with several important ministers of the imperial court.

"General!" Ding Gong hurriedly said: "The fire in the east of the city has started, the people have been displaced, and most of the arsenal and Taicang have been burned, so we need to send troops to extinguish the fire immediately!" ”

He Jin listened and was silent.

The general Zhang Zhang came back with less than half of the soldiers, and half of his hair was burned off by the fire, and he didn't have time to tidy it up, and when he heard this, he immediately retorted: "The thieves just took advantage of the fire to attack our army, and if you don't kill the thieves first, you can't put out the fire!" General, allow me to fight again! ”

Seeing that He Jin seemed to be moved, Ding Gong walked forward on his knees and wept: "Does the general want to watch so many innocent people die in the fire? ”

He Jin looked at Ding Palace, then at Zhang Zhang, and said angrily: "I am planning for the world, how can I pity the small people!" ”

Ding Gong's face was full of shock and disappointment. He Jin said: "Our army is outnumbered by the enemy, and we ordered the soldiers to attack overnight!" After the thieves are defeated, let's talk about other things! ”

He looked at Zhou Bi who came to the hall and asked, "What's the matter?" ”

Zhou Yu knelt down on one knee and said, "General Qiyu, the thief has returned to Nangong." ”

He Jin looked at the fire that burned the sky red, gritted his teeth and said, "If a thief can set fire, I can't?" Order the captain to shoot sound, prepare more rockets, and burn all the Nangong to me! ”

During the previous daytime siege, the Shooting Battalion had burned the defensive facilities such as the curtain hanging houses on the head of the city with rockets, but they were careful not to let the fire bolts fly to the palace behind the wall. Occasionally, a few arrows landed in the palace, causing some fires, which were quickly extinguished.

If you really set it on fire, those carved beams and paintings will soon be burned to the ground.

Chen Cheng and Jian Shuo quickly retreated, and as soon as they entered the city, they heard that Yan Zhong had returned from Canglongmen with soldiers and horses.

Yan Zhong said ashamedly: "The northern army set fire to the palace, and then took advantage of the chaos to attack, but the subordinates were incompetent and failed to hold the arsenal. ”

Chen Cheng looked at Yan Zhong with a complicated expression, sighed softly, and said, "It's okay if you're okay." ”

Hearing this, the ashamed expression on Yan Zhong's face immediately disappeared, but Wei Li, who was following him, kept his head down, not daring to look at Chen Cheng.

Yan Zhong looked left and right, stepped forward and said in a low voice: "Now He Jin is firmly guarding the North Palace, and he is in a hurry, and the troops of the Quartet King Qin are coming....... It's time to make up your mind. ”

After he defeated a group of infantry of the Northern Army, he also thought about killing He Jin while he was in chaos, but when he arrived near Beigong, he found that it was impossible, and then he turned back to Nangong.

Chen Cheng asked the soldiers to stay away, stared at Yan Zhong, and asked, "Bo Dao, is this fire really set by the Northern Army?" ”

Before Yan Zhong could speak, Wei Li, who was not far behind him, trembled. Yan Zhong said calmly: "I put it." If the prince is to blame, he is willing to bear it. ”

"If you don't say that, how can I entrust anyone?" Chen Cheng sighed and said, "It's not easy for you. Although you set the fire, if you hadn't set the fire, we are afraid that it would be more difficult now. ”

He touched the place on his body where he was shot by a crossbow arrow, but the place where he was in his hand was cold iron armor, and said with emotion: "The Northern Army is brave, and it is comparable to the Hu people in the borderlands." ”

"Luoyang is a big whirlpool now," Yan Zhong said, "It's better to jump out first, and then calmly clean up the mountains and rivers." As long as there are two palaces and two princes in hand, we can still beat He Jin into a rebel! ”

"It may not be so easy, but it can only be like this," Chen Cheng looked at the fire in the distance and said with a wry smile: "I originally wanted to save the people and let a few fewer people die in this world, but I didn't expect it to cause such a big chaos." After today, I don't know how many people are going to curse me. ”

Yan Zhong asked, "The prince is afraid of being scolded?" ”

Chen Cheng thought for a while, shook his head and said, "To be honest, I'm really not afraid. ”

Yan Zhong laughed and said, "That's amazing? A certain family is not afraid! ”

"Bodao said that we should jump out of Luoyang first, so where should we go?" Chen Cheng asked, "Is it to enter Guanzhong in the west, or to go north to Yanzhao?" ”

In his mind, these two places are the places that people today think have the "spirit of a king". Liu Bang was only qualified to argue with Xiang Yu after he captured Sanqin, and then he seized the world. The Guangwu Emperor who revived the Han dynasty was based on Hebei, with enough soldiers and food, and taking the world was like exploring the bag.

But Yan Zhong shook his head and said, "Outside Chang'an City is the Xiliang rebels, how to get there?" ”

The Western Liangqiang people have been making trouble for more than a hundred years, and after Han Sui Bianzhang joined, they had the strength to threaten the Han Empire. The Xiliang cavalry was unstoppable, and once beat Dong Zhuo, Huangfu Song and others to ashes. But to say that outside Chang'an City is the Xiliang Army, it is too exaggerated. Not to mention anything else, Huangfu Song is now stationed 30,000 soldiers in Fufeng County to defend Chang'an.

Although the Xiliang army led by Han Sui Bian Zhang was strong, it could not break through the defense line guarded by Huangfu Song, and if it wanted to hit the city of Chang'an, it was far from enough.

"What about Hebei? Hebei is thousands of miles away, the people are abundant, and the soldiers are strong, which is the place to use. ”

Yan Zhong said with a smile: "Hebei is certainly fat, but there are many powerful families in the local area, I am afraid that it will not be used by the princes, but will be difficult for us." ”

"Guanzhong and Hebei can't, so where should I go?"

"According to a certain family's opinion, it is better to go to Jingxiang via Nanyang."

"Jing Xiang......... I remember that the imperial court just sent Liu Biao to serve as the assassin of Jingzhou, right? ”

Yan Zhong said with a smile: "Yes, Liu Jingsheng has just resigned from the post of lieutenant marquis of the Northern Army and has taken up the post of Jingzhou Assassin. But he took office alone, how can he compare to us taking the two palaces and the prince with us? ”

Chen Cheng looked to the side, Wei Li had already retreated into the distance, "Bodao said that there are many powerful families in Hebei, so there are no powerful families in Jingzhou?" Won't they be embarrassed by us? ”

"The prince doesn't know that Jingzhou borders the southern barbarians, and the clan thieves are strong, and there are many powerful people, but there are few families. After I arrived in Jingzhou, I supported the succession of Marquis Dong, and then recruited local heroes with the official position of the imperial court, and then sent troops to the Central Plains, and great things can be done! ”

What Yan Zhong said was conclusive, but Chen Cheng didn't quite believe what he said now. He thought about it carefully, shook his head and said, "Jingzhou is easy to attack and difficult to defend, and it is open to the enemy on all sides. If we can go, why can't we send troops to pursue us? Maybe before they can gain a foothold, the pursuers will kill them. ”

Yan Zhong said in a low voice: "The reason why He Jin is a general is because of the existence of the queen and the eldest son of the emperor, as long as it is .........."

He raised his palm, made a downward splitting motion, and said, "Then why is He Jin still sitting in the position of the general?" What else did he rely on to order the generals and scholars of the world? ”

Chen Cheng shook his head again and again, and said: "Fight on the battlefield, each has its own destiny, then that's it." You asked me to kill women and children who had no ability to resist, but I couldn't do it. ”

He stared at Yan Zhong and said, "If I kill them today to solve the problem, won't I kill you for some other reason in the future?" There is still a bottom line to be a man. ”

Yan Zhong said disapplausively: "There is no need for the prince to do it, I will do it for the wicked." ”

The expression on Chen Cheng's face gradually became fierce, his two good-looking eyebrows seemed to be upside down, and he said sharply: "I said that I can't do it!" ”

The people he killed with his own hands on the battlefield were not one thousand but eight hundred, and at such a time, he was angry, and the murderous aura was soaring, Yan Zhong was suddenly startled, and felt that it was difficult to breathe. The soldiers in the distance heard the noise here and looked at it together, and Chen Cheng waved his hand to indicate that it was okay.

"Bodao, you are a smart person, but you may not understand what kind of person I am, and there are some things that I would rather die than do."

Yan Zhong had a lot of other words in his belly, such as "You yourself are not afraid of death, so should so many soldiers who follow you also have to die together", and so on, but in the face of Chen Cheng who was angry, he didn't dare to say anything else.

Chen Cheng restrained the murderous aura on his body and said slowly: "Your Majesty treats me well, he is not cold now, how can I raise the butcher knife to kill his wife?" If I did that, would I still be a human being? ”

Yan Zhong smiled bitterly and said, "I know, but if the prince doesn't use this strategy, I have no other way." ”

Chen Cheng thought for a while and said, "Maybe it can be ......... like this."

Before the words fell, the soldier hurriedly reported: "The northern army has broken through the Suzaku Gate and is heading towards the Jiade Palace." We have few soldiers, and we can't resist it! ”

At this time, it was getting late, Chen Cheng hurriedly turned his head to look when he heard this, and saw that in the afterglow of the setting sun, a large number of heavy armored infantry were pouring in through the city gate. The enemy army was divided into three routes, two to capture the White Tiger Gate and Canglong Gate, and the soldiers and horses in the middle were along the passage between the Qingliang Palace, the Phoenix Hall and other palaces to kill this side.

At the head of the Suzaku Gate, the heavily armored infantry with halberds scattered the defending soldiers, and a large number of crossbowmen were running up quickly, ready to occupy the firing positions at the head of the city.

Yan Zhong was shocked and angry, and shouted, "How could the Vermilion Bird Gate be lost suddenly? ”

Chen Cheng didn't pay attention to it, and only then did he find that in the Jiade Hall not far away, many green dots turned red at some point. He took a deep breath and said, "Someone opened the city gates!" ”

There was a sound of footsteps in the Garter Hall, and more than 100 armorers rushed out and stood guard in the open space on the steps. The crossbowmen then poured out, aiming underneath. The soldiers of the Yue Cai and the Xiyuan Army immediately gathered and formed a confrontation with the armor soldiers on the steps.

Chen Chengqiang suppressed the anger in his heart, and shouted in the direction of the Jiade Hall from a distance of fifty or sixty steps: "Zhao Zhong, what do you mean by this? ”

Zhao Zhong poked his head out from behind the armor soldier and said with a wry smile: "Julu Hou, you can't blame me for this. ”

Chen Cheng was not afraid, but he felt extremely angry, and there was a sense of powerlessness in his heart, he blackened his face and roared: "What about Jian Shuo? Let him come out to see me? ”