Yongqiu County is an ordinary Gyeonggi County located more than 80 miles east of Bianliang City.

Like other states and counties in Gyeonggi on the plains, the terrain around Yongqiu is dominated by plains and hills, with only occasional undulating loess hills. The most famous history of Yongqiu County is the rebellion of Li Tang Anshi, when the Tang Dynasty Zhenyuan ordered Zhang Xun to rebel with thousands of soldiers and horses, and ordered Fox Tide and tens of thousands of soldiers and horses to fight here and defeat the rebels. But in fact, Yongqiu County is not a strong city, and there are many reasons for the victory in that war, but it is definitely not because Yongqiu City is well defended and the terrain is favorable.

Twenty miles southwest of Yongqiu County, there is a loess hill that is more than ten miles long. This long mound lies across the plain and looks very abrupt, and I don't know why. The official name here is Lutai Gang, and I don't know why it got its name. The local people are accustomed to calling it 'Ten Mile Changgang'.

In the vicinity of Bianliang, even a small hill with an altitude of only a few tens of meters can be called a mountain, because there are very few real mountains here. Only the west mountain in the east of the city can really be called a mountain around Bianliang, but in fact, it is only more than 100 meters above sea level, but there is a green valley sandwiched between two small hills, and it has become a grand scene around Bianliang. Therefore, this ten-mile long hill has also become a humanistic place. The hills are lush with trees, and there are temples, houses, pavilions, buildings, etc., which have become a place where people who go out to gather around Bianliang often come to enjoy the scenery. There is a nine-story stone tower at the top of the middle section of Changgang, called 'Range Rover Tower', which is the place where the literati and artists in the capital travel check-in. The inner and outer walls of the stone pagoda are covered with the handwriting of literati and ink writers, many of whom are handwritten by famous artists.

The people of Bianliang are actually very pitiful, they are the citizens of Bianliang, the capital at the foot of the Son of Heaven, and they have all the arrogance of the people of the capital, but they have never seen the real mountains and mountains. Therefore, it is a bit sad to attach so much importance to a loess hill.

However, for the Luoyan army that was gathering here, this ten-mile long post was the best place for them to be stationed at the moment. With its back to Changgang and camping along the north bank of the Bianhe River, it is an excellent camping site with barriers in both directions. At this moment, the camp of the Luoyan Army is divided into three military camps, which lie under the slope on the west side of the ten-mile Changgang.

Lin Jue's Chinese army tent was set up under the Range Rover Tower on the hill. Lin Jue is not a hobby of some literati and has any preference for the Range Rover Tower, which is full of famous ink treasures, and the Chinese army's big tent is set up here entirely because he can climb high and look far away and see the overall situation. Although the loess hill is not tall, this nine-story stone tower is the best place to look. Standing on the top of the tower, with the help of a clairvoyant mirror, you can clearly see the surrounding area within a radius of tens of miles, which is the most practical point. In addition, Lin Jue had no interest in the poems and sour verses on the stone towers.

At the second watch yesterday, Lin Jue arrived here with a thousand cavalry of the personal guard battalion, and joined the 50,000 cavalry who had arrived here before. Beginning this morning, Guo Kun led 50,000 infantry and heavy troops to arrive here one after another. After a busy day, all the soldiers and horses finally entered the camp, and all affairs were on track. In the evening, Guo Kun finally arrived.

At this moment, the sun is setting. On the highest floor of the nine-story stone tower, Lin Jue and Guo Kun stood side by side by the stone railing, looking into the distance. Under the sunset, the direction of Bianliang in front of him is flat, and there is no trace of snow on the ground, and the melting snow seeps into the soil, and the whole earth presents a fertile and soft black. On the south side, a large river that shimmers with golden light in the setting sun flows slowly, which is the Bianhe River that flows from the capital through the south side of the hill. The trees on the left near the hill have clearly shown a vigorous state, like a smoke-like green like a long corridor extending north and south along the direction of the mound. Everything in front of you gives people a sense of vastness and vitality.

Guo Kun's expression was pleasant, and the golden armor on his whole body was shining in the setting sun, and his entire face seemed to be glowing.

"Brother-in-law, my Da Zhou is really a place where the rivers and mountains are magnificent and the people are outstanding. This is the land of Gyeonggi, and I didn't think I would ever have a chance to come back in my life. But today, we're finally back. Although I can't see Bianliang City yet, I'm already happy. If my father were alive, he would be glad to be great. Brother-in-law, I really thank you, for many years of planning and management, all of which are your efforts. In the future, after we recapture the capital and expel the foreign enemy, you will be the first hero of my Great Zhou. I don't make any promises, whatever you want in the future, as long as I Guo Kun can give it, I will give it to you. Even if it's ...... Share this great week with you. ”

Lin Jue was also fully armed, but he was wearing ordinary black armor, and the purple cloak behind him was burning like a fire. He squinted into the distance, heard Guo Kun say these words in his ear, turned his head and laughed.

"Uncle, you think a little more. Thinking about the future now? Now we are facing a big war. We only have 100,000 soldiers and horses, and we have to face a strong enemy that is several times our own. Even if you take over the world, you and I will share the country? You dare to say this, but I dare not listen to it. Lin Jue said.

Guo Kun said in a deep voice: "What I said is not a lie, I think so from the bottom of my heart." ”

Lin Jue waved his hand and said, "Uncle, don't say it." If you keep saying that, I won't be able to communicate with you properly. You know that I am not a power-seeker, and you are not guilty of using these words to trap me. If I was right, how could I go out of the court and go to Funiu Mountain? I will not say it again as if I had not heard it. ”

Guo Kun smiled bitterly: "Okay, although I said these things sincerely, since you don't like to listen to them and think that I can't say them, then I won't say it." But my heart is sincere, and only heaven and earth can learn from it. ”

Lin Jue frowned, and changed the subject: "The Jurchens are about to attack, and their forces are several times more than ours. Let's face it. The Jurchens are not so easy to deal with. Guo Kun smiled: "Actually, I'm not worried at all. ”

Lin Jue frowned and said, "Why?" ”

Guo Kun pointed at Lin Jue and said, "It's simple, because you're here." Naturally, I have no confidence in my own words. But with you, it's different. You alone are worth hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and my faith comes from you. ”

Lin Jue smiled: "That's even more unreliable, it's impossible to press the treasure on one person." There is a limit to one's intellect and strength. We rely on our soldiers and on the people of the world. When everyone helps together, there is a lot to be done. ”

Guo Kun smiled and said: "I know, the people's hearts are back, don't you say this every day?" I've been remembering that for a long time. I'll live up to that. But when it comes to marching and fighting, I believe only in you. How important a good manager is, am I still unclear? How many crises have you defused along the way? It's all about you who are in command. Don't be humble. That's why I believe you will be able to defeat a strong enemy. ”

Lin Jue smiled and waved his hand: "That's it, I find it a little embarrassing to talk to my eldest brother now, my eldest brother is too humble, and he is too polite to me, so he wants to kill me." I remember when you didn't do that to me. The little prince who shouted at me and shouted to kill me didn't know where to go. ”

Guo Kun smiled bitterly: "What did you do before?" Back in Hangzhou, after I found out about my sister and you, I was going crazy. At that time, I really wanted to cut you with a knife. I don't know why I let you go. In fact, I still feel very guilty about that incident, and my sister still refuses to forgive me, and that day my mother also said that my sister has been thinking about her first child who was forced to have a miscarriage, and she cried when she mentioned it. It's all my fault, if I hadn't forced her in the first place, I wouldn't have let her suffer. ”

Lin Jue was stunned, feeling quite guilty in his heart. I have neglected to care about the little county lord for more than a year. I thought I knew Cai Wei very well, but I actually knew very little about Cai Wei's heart. Although he felt a little sad at the time when he and Guo Caiwei's first child was forced to kill, he was relieved more than regretful after all, after all, it would be difficult for that child to keep a lot of things. But this incident left a huge scar in Guo Caiwei's heart, but she didn't know anything.

"Guo Kun is dead, and after so many things, it is time for me to mature. When my father was alive, he often said about me, he said: Kun'er, when will you grow up, so that you can not be impatient and impulsive when encountering problems. I think I must have disappointed a lot of people back then. I'm never going to be who I used to be anymore. I think I've grown up. Guo Kun looked into the distance and said softly thoughtfully.

Lin Jue felt something in his heart, and said softly: "Actually, I really liked you before." Although the temperament is frizzy, it is straightforward. Once a person matures, it's not fun. I learned to have something to say, and I learned to hide it, so it was not easy to communicate with each other. ”

Guo Kun was stunned for a moment and asked, "What?" ”

Lin Jue waved his hand and smiled: "It's nothing, let's talk about the things in front of us." The Jurchen army will march in the afternoon, and it is expected to arrive tonight. Tomorrow there may be a war against us. We have no way back from this battle. What I'm worried about now is not the Jurchens, but Lu Zhongtian's soldiers and horses. Lu Zhongtian, an old thief, I never expected him to dare to steal the country, and now he has 200,000 forbidden troops in his hands, what I am most worried about is their movements. If the old thief joins forces with the Jurchens at all costs, then we will face an unprecedented dangerous situation, and we are likely to be beaten back to our original form. Has my uncle considered this? ”

Guo Kun nodded and said, "I've thought about it." But it's also something that can't be helped. Now we can only hope that Lu Zhongtian will not join forces with the Jurchens. Otherwise, it's really difficult. If we don't know, we're going to retreat to the Funiu Mountains. Of course, you may have a good solution. ”

Lin Jue said: "It is impossible to hope that Lu Zhongtian will not join forces with the Jurchens, and there is a high probability that this matter will happen." Lu Zhongtian has completely torn his face, and he is not a person to be a dog, he can do anything. The old thief now has 200,000 forbidden troops in hand, Bianliang City in hand, and capital. However, the old thief is fickle and cunning, even if he joins forces with the Jurchens, he is afraid that he will not go all out. His cunning was not only against us, but also against the Jurchens. This is his weakness. If he's willing to give it his all, we're in trouble. But I guess he won't do that, and he's more likely to use the Jurchens to exterminate us. So our top priority is to defeat the Jurchens. ”

Guo Kun nodded and said, "It makes sense." The more cunning the old thief is, the more unwilling he is to exert all his strength, and he also has to guard against the Jurchens. Even if they join forces, it is a union of wolves and foxes, each with their own agenda. ”

Lin Jue nodded and smiled: "This example is very vivid, the friendship between the wolf and the fox cannot be strong, and they guard against each other. ”

Guo Kun smiled: "Actually, I can't help you with the war, but there is something I want to ask about your attitude at the moment." ”

Lin Jue smiled: "I guess the eldest brother is asking how to deal with Guo Xu's matter." ”

Guo Kun nodded and smiled: "Exactly." ”

Lin Jue said: "Has my uncle seen Guo Xu?" ”

Guo Kun said: "I saw him as soon as possible, as well as some of my Guo family's royal families and the king of the horse county. ”

Lin Jue said, "What did you tell him?" ”

Guo Kun said: "What do I have to say to him?" It's just a scum who killed his father and brother, and I didn't have to dirty my mouth when I talked to him. I just went to taunt him a few words to dispel the hatred in my heart. It's ridiculous that he begged me to spare his life. It's crazy. ”

Lin Jue said: "Isn't the eldest brother going to spare his life?" ”

Guo Kun was stunned for a moment, and said in amazement: "Spare him?" What are you talking about? Brother-in-law, are you crazy? You actually said that you want to spare this brute who has lost his conscience? Have you forgotten what he did? Lin Jue looked at Guo Kun and said, "I haven't forgotten, and I didn't say that I wanted to spare him." However, I can't make a decision about Guo Xu's life and death, because Guo Xu's life and death are not just the life and death of an ordinary person, he is the emperor of the Great Zhou. The impact on his disposition is significant, especially at this time. ”

Guo Kun frowned and said, "What do you mean?" ”

Lin Jue said: "Guo Xu is innocent of death, this is beyond doubt. Mr. Fang, Lord Yan, he and Lu Zhongtian jointly murdered, the King of Jin, the Queen Mother, the Empress and Concubine Rong, all of whom were killed by him. The emperor can also be said to have died at his hands. It is not an exaggeration to die a hundred times for such a person. I snatched him back from the Jurchens to avenge the dead, my teacher and Lord Yan. However, I was reminded that at this stage, Guo Xu's identity is extremely important, and killing him may lead to unintended consequences. And it may be of great benefit to keep him alive. After thinking about it carefully, I felt that this statement made sense. If his life is at stake, I have to be cautious. So I'll have to think it over with you. ”

Guo Kun said in a deep voice: "Is his life and death so important?" ”

Lin Jue nodded and said, "It's really important." Killing him is not good for us, after all, it is a trip to kill the king, Lu Zhongtian will use this matter to clear his name, and we have no excuse. The people of the world will be more prejudiced against us. Although I am already a rebel in the minds of many people, and I don't care about these remarks for a long time, if I am used by Lu Zhongtian to deceive the world, it is not necessary. If we coerce Guo Xu to order the world, things will be much easier. Our Fallen Goose Army has become a convoy and will immediately reverse its image. And Guo Xu's mouth to expose Lu Zhongtian's wolf ambition is even more convincing. The support of the people is very important, and it is even related to the success or failure of major events. Since I chose to go out of the mountain, of course I hope that I don't have to go back to Funiu Mountain, and I hope that the big thing will be successful, so I have to tell you the pros and cons. Although I would love to kill Guo Xu with one sword, I can't just ignore your feelings for my likes and dislikes. After all, we are working hard for the Great Zhou Society, and it is not my personal business. ”

Guo Kun was silent, he had to admit that Lin Jue's statement was correct, killing Guo Xu at this juncture would indeed have a very bad impact. Originally, the Luoyan Army was named a rebel bandit from the day it started. Seven or eight out of ten of the people in the world do not agree with the method of the Luoyan Army. Even Lin Jue announced Guo Xu's murder of his father and brother to the usurpation of the harem in various state capitals of the Great Zhou Dynasty for exposure and public opinion publicity. But in fact, most of the people still believed the words of the imperial court, or adopted a neutral attitude. They believe that the argument of smearing each other in order to compete for the throne is not credible, and Guo Kun is not qualified to compete for the throne, and is more inclined to the statement that Guo Kun is a rebellion.

If the Luoyan Army already had the strength to crush the situation, it might not have to care about the impact of Guo Xu's death at all. But the Luoyan Army is now the party with the least soldiers and horses among the three forces, and the foundation is also the weakest, striving for the recognition of the people of the world, and using Guo Xu's card to win the benefits of moral and practical support, which is actually the most realistic choice.

However, Guo Kun feels that things are not so simple. Lin Jue has expressed countless remarks about putting Guo Xu to death. Guo Xu and Lu Zhongtian were both the first two people Lin Jue was included in the death blacklist after Fang Dunru's death, and Lin Jue swore a poisonous oath to kill him to avenge his teacher. And after Guo Xu usurped the throne, Lin Jue gritted his teeth and scolded countless times. Fang Dunru is Lin Jue's mentor, like father and son, and Lin Jue's Lord Taishan. Lin Jue had long regarded Fang Dunru's feud as his own family feud. On Fang Dunru's death day last year, Lin Jue also promised Fang Huanqiu that he would kill Guo Xu and Lu Zhongtian to take revenge, and Guo Kun was present at the time and heard it with his own ears. And Guo Chong and Concubine Rong, who died in the hands of Guo Xu, are the biological parents of Lin Jue's favorite childhood sweetheart, Princess Green Dance. How could Lin Jue not avenge Green Dance.

As far as Lin Jue was concerned, he had no reason to hesitate about killing Guo Xu. With Lin Jue's character, he would never spare his opponent who killed him because of the so-called overall situation. He is not a man of appeasement, and he is perfectly capable of taking control of the situation. Since he decided to lead the Luoyan Army to the expedition, he had already considered the worst-case scenario, and he would not disrupt the entire plan and steps because of Guo Xu's life and death.

Now, he suddenly asked himself what that meant?

Guo Kun is no longer Wuxia Ameng, and the reckless and impulsive Guo Kun has already become deep and restrained in a series of experiences. A few years of dormancy in the Barberry Mountains also made his views on many things more profound. The change of status and all the changes have prompted Guo Kun to mature. In the past few years, his whole person has actually undergone radical changes. Guo Kun learned not to act with feelings, and also learned to think about problems, becoming more sophisticated and sleek, and even some of the city is deep. In a way, he is becoming more and more like his late father, Guo Bing.

After thinking carefully, Guo Kun suddenly understood Lin Jue's intentions.

"Brother-in-law, can this matter be handed over to me to deal with, I want to have a good talk with Guo Xu tonight. As for his life or death, perhaps tomorrow will be the answer. You ask me now, but I don't know how to answer you. Guo Kun sighed and said in a deep voice.

Lin Jue smiled and nodded, "Okay, you can talk to him tonight and think about it." The decision on this matter is yours, and I will not interfere. ”

Guo Xu nodded, and the two stopped talking, only turned side by side to look into the distance.

Under the ten-mile long post, the battalion of 100,000 Luoyan troops is endless. Around the camp, groups of cavalry galloped and patrolled, in an orderly manner. Smoke was billowing from the camp, and the soldiers had already begun to bury their pots and cook food. Farther away, the sun had set, the twilight was four, and there was a solemnity among the mountains and fields. The steep spring breeze blew through the mountains and fields, whistling and sounding, like countless unjust souls began to wander and howl.