Away from a stone's throw away, Shang Chengcheng could already see a row of four large braziers set up outside the big tent, and the blazing flames were red on all sides; Behind the brazier, there were two teams of armor soldiers, all of them standing upright with swords, statue-like without squinting. When I got a little closer, I saw a tiger's head card as tall as a man sitting next to the big tent door, with a gold frame and a red rim, and it read:

"Xiao Xiao, the head of the camp of Da Zhao Yanshan"

The nine regular script large characters have rigorous strokes, the knots are flat and tight, and the charm is strict, so you know that this is the general of Shangzhuguo, the commander of the Liyuan battalion, and the commander of Xiao Jian Xiao, who is in charge of the political affairs of the Haiyan and Jin Sanwei armies and has jurisdiction over the conquest of the Tuqi Dynasty.

When he was about to reach the land of the big tent and half an arrow, the officer who led the way waited for him to see him, and he himself took a step forward to pass the ceremony. Not long after, a Wupin general wearing a light crimson round-necked Rong regular uniform came out of the big tent, stood in front of the guards and asked in a low voice: "Who is Shang Cheng?" ”

At this time, Shang Cheng had already tied up his short coat belt, and his loose trousers were also tightly wrapped and pressed into his leather boots, and when he heard the interrogation, he hurriedly took a few steps to stand in the firelight, stood up and hugged his fists and bowed slightly, and replied: "Your job is it!" ”

"The chief manager told you to come in!"

"Yes!"

Shang Cheng trotted a few steps, stopped at the door of the tent, took a deep breath and calmed down, and reported loudly: "Yanshan Wei Guide Captain Shang Cheng, Jin see the chief manager!" ”

After a pause, I heard a loud voice from the big tent mixed with a little old and tired: "Come in." ”

"Yes!"

Shang Cheng stepped into the tent loudly. He carefully looked at the road by the light and shadow of the brazier behind him, turned a vertical door in two steps, and suddenly there was a fire in front of him, and he didn't know how many large wax sticks of mutton fat had been lit, and the whole camp was full of bright lights that pierced people's eyes. He suddenly came out of the darkness, his left eye was stirred by the dazzling light, and he couldn't see the surrounding scene and things clearly for a long time, he closed his eyes and lowered his head for a while, and then he opened his eyes and gradually got used to the fact that there were several clusters of iron branch lampstands taller than a man standing on three sides of the open tent, and the fist-sized candle flame was fluttering and burning on the wax top as thick as a child's arm. On the west side stands a wooden map, with dotted lines and sparse drawings, which is obviously an enlarged map of the march; There are a few empty chairs in front of the wooden figure. There were only three people in a row of seven or eight seats on the east side, all of them were single mink tails, four wings, and crimson robes wrapped in fish scales and fine armor. At the end of the two rows of seats in the east and west is a long wooden case, on both sides of the desk there is a fine yarn lamp pressed on each side, so that the quiver, pen holder, inkstone, paper file are neatly placed in turn, and an old general with gray hair sits in the center behind the wooden case, holding several pages of official letters in his hand, squinting a pair of triangular eyes, and looking himself up and down repeatedly with a sharp knife-like gaze.

Shang Cheng didn't have armor on his body, so he couldn't use the military salute to greet him at this time, he stepped forward with his right foot and raised his arm to arch his fist, and he was ready to see the big salute in the march, Xiao Jian gently waved his head and said, "You are injured, you don't need to salute." He casually pointed to a row of empty seats to the west, "Sit down." ”

Despite Xiao Jian's military order, Shang Cheng still saluted on one knee, got up and nodded slightly to Chen Pu, who was sitting on the right side of the case, and sat down on the last chair in the west without saying a word, lowered his gaze and stared at his feet, calmly waiting for General Shangzhuguo to ask for instructions.

Xiao Jian didn't speak, just lowered his head and flipped through the official documents one by one. Occasionally, he would raise his hand to take the fine porcelain cup on the table, take a slow sip of tea, and then bury his head again. Chen Pu and the three generals seemed to be full of worries, each frowning and not saying a word, and for a while, there was no sound in the huge camp tent.

After a long time, Xiao Jian put down the paperwork, reached out to support the crimson cross-legged head on his head, swiped a strand of Chinese hair that crawled out of the brim of his hat into his sideburns, coughed lightly, and asked, "Is the captain of the merchant a native of Yanshan Yi County?" ”

Shang Cheng turned sideways, bowed to Xiao Jian in his seat, and said loudly: "Tell the general manager: His hometown is Jin County, Bohai, and in the spring of the seventeenth year of the Eastern Yuan Dynasty, the two cities of Qingshang and Jin County were burned to the ground. This is an excuse that Huo Shiqi made up before he became a naturalized citizen, although there are flaws in it, and it can't withstand the careful scrutiny of people with intentions, but the household registration books of Qingshang and Jin County were also destroyed in that war, even if others want to find out, it is impossible to find out.

"I heard that you used to be a monk in Jiazhou for a few days?"

"Yes. The family has little land and does not need so much labor, so when he was eleven years old, he began to work outside with an uncle of his family. When I was fifteen years old, my uncle and I passed through Jiazhou with a caravan, and met a great monk on the way, who said that I had a wisdom root and a relationship with the Buddhist family, so he crossed me into Shamen. ”

"Why don't you be a good monk, and suddenly think about it and it's vulgar?"

This is the most difficult question to answer in Shang Cheng's history, and it is also the most difficult place to weave a lie, he and Huo Shiqi repeatedly discussed it all night, and finally came up with a reason that could barely make sense. Shang Cheng continued: "In June of the 16th year of the Eastern Yuan Dynasty, my master occasionally got a remonstrance when he was sitting in meditation, and the last sentence of the admonition was 'the origin of the origin, and the end of the destiny', and after the enlightenment, I realized that it meant that my Buddha's fate had ended, so he ordered me to take off my robe and become a layman again. ”

"In which monastery did you become a monk? What is the Dharma name? Which great monk is Venerable Master? ”

Again, this is a difficult question to answer. Shang Cheng grimaced, forced himself to suppress the surging tension in his heart, tried his best to make his voice sound calm and calm, and said: "My career is a monk in the Great Buddha Temple in Jiazhou, three years after the monk, in April of the ninth year of the Eastern Yuan Dynasty, the legal name 'Yuanlai' was given by the master. As for the Dharma name of the master, please forgive the chief manager one by one, and when he left the monastery, he repeatedly explained to the old man and was not allowed to mention it to others. This was also the idea he came up with with Huo Shiqi. Although he kept saying that he couldn't mention the master's Dharma name, in fact, when he reported his Dharma name, he didn't say it. But such a pretense of mystery is more likely to win the trust of others, because people always like to hear these legendary stories, and they can easily believe them......

Xiao Jian's cold gaze behind his eyelids circled back and forth on Shang Cheng's face like a knife, and he nodded for a long time before asking, "Then you...... I heard that on the way to Yanshan to join your relatives, you met your uncle and relatives by chance when you ambushed two tigers in the mountains, is there such a thing? ”

Shang Cheng secretly breathed a long sigh of relief in his heart. What he fears most is that others are entangled in his status as a monk. If ordinary people or acquaintances around him ask this, he can still laugh and laugh to cover up the past, but now he is in the army in the tent, except for Chen Pu, who seems to be ignorant of the world, everyone else is an expert in marching and fighting to anticipate the enemy's opportunities, and a veteran of judging the situation and checking for omissions, as long as he accidentally says a wrong word, a lie will be exposed in an instant, and he will be exposed in his true form. If this matter is only related to him alone, he is not too afraid, the big deal is just death, but he can re-register his household registration if he "loses his degree", obviously there is a hidden secret behind "harboring stolen goods, lying and accepting bribes", as long as he follows the vines, the seventeenth uncle's family, Yue'er's sister, the sixth uncle of the Huo family, and the secretary who handled this matter in the Yamen of Yixian County, and the senior junior who did not report the opportunity...... Dozens of people are going to be implicated, maybe in the end, Shishi, Baokan and Sun Zhongshan may not be able to get out...... Fortunately, at the critical moment, Xiao Jian did not turn the problem to Du Mu. Thankfully! After he settled down, he briefly described how he lost his way in Yanshan, how he killed two hungry wolves with his bare hands, and how he met and recognized his "uncle" Liu Laozhu.

Several generals had already learned about him from other places in the past two days, and they would not be surprised to hear him now. Xiao Jian still looked at him thoughtfully, Chen Pu sat quietly with his eyebrows drooping, two of the three generals were frowning and thinking about something, only the middle-aged general with a round face in the first place, his hands folded and pressed against his belt, smiling as if listening to a story, staring at him intently.

After a pause, Xiao Jian suddenly slanted his lips and said with a smile: "I've heard of you a long time ago!" Yixian Shang Monk and Northern Zheng Shang are blind, and they can also be regarded as a member of Yanshanwei. Shang Cheng leaned over slightly in his seat and said respectfully: "The chief manager is falsely praised, and he is embarrassed, and he really doesn't dare to be such an examine." Xiao Jian waved his hand to interrupt him: "Yes, you don't have to be humble in front of the old man!" I'm not a brother of the Li family, just to earn a little more credit and reward, I can do such a shameless thing! Such a lack of morality, the old man can't do it! You say, don't you? ”

Xiao Jian's demeanor and questioning in front of him were both majestic and civil, but suddenly he changed into a veteran ruffian's face, and Shang Cheng couldn't adapt to it for a while. In addition, Xiao Jian's words were full of contempt and sarcasm for the two brothers, Li Wei and Li Shen, and Shang Cheng didn't know how to answer, so he had to close his mouth and look ahead.

Xiao Jian said a few of these vulgar words, as if his temper had just been vented, his face gradually calmed down, he took the porcelain cup that had just been filled with boiling water, leaned back on the chair, stared at Shang Cheng with triangular eyes, and then asked: "I heard that you are very disciplined in fighting, let me ask you one by one, my 50,000 army is surrounded by the Tuqi people in Moganzhai, in your opinion, how should we deal with the current passive situation?" ”

Shang Cheng lowered his head and thought for a while, looked up at Xiao Jian and said, "Chief Manager: I don't know. ”

"Huh?"

"My subordinates don't know the current situation of our army, nor do they know how the troops of the Tun Troika are deployed, so they can't answer the question of the commander."

“…… Are you literate? ”

Shang Cheng replied cautiously: "If you know some words, you can roughly understand military newspapers and official documents." ”

Xiao Jian pointed to the pile of documents in front of him, and ordered without looking back: "Show him these." A five-rank officer standing behind him stood up and brought over more than a dozen military intelligence reports and handed them to Shang Cheng.

Shang Cheng took the paperwork and looked through it slowly. These things are very simple, the grain, ordnance, soldiers, and people of Mogan Dazhai are ...... There is only an approximate number, and there is no detailed information about the troops, subordinates, combat effectiveness, and deployment of each army and brigade. The situation on the part of the Turks was much more detailed, especially the arrangements of the Turks to the south and east, and there were three or four special military briefings. It seems that Xiao Jian and the others have already sifted through the news, and what they show him now is not a big deal.

Shang Cheng carefully browsed these things, asked Xiao Jian again, took the document and compared it on the map behind him, and gradually sketched a rough layout map of the enemy's situation in his heart, thought about it, turned his head to Xiao Jian and saluted, and asked: "Please make it clear to the general manager: How many days can our army store food?" ”

As soon as he said this, the three generals who had been silent exchanged glances, and the reunion face sitting in the first place nodded slightly in approval. Xiao Jian said: "One month. ”

Shang Cheng didn't speak, looked at the map again, and said resolutely: "Our army should immediately start mobilizing and prepare for the first encirclement." Concentrate 15 to 20 battalions in the south, repeatedly test the reality of the enemy in the south, and make a posture of going south. The other three sides strengthened their vigilance and secretly moved the main force to the east. ”

He said earnestly and immediately began to prepare for retreat, Xiao Jian and the four generals were full of surprise. The result of several generals discussing behind closed doors day and night is also a breakthrough! At present, even if the imperial court has the heart to rescue, it is far from quenching its thirst, not to mention that the army's food and grass will be exhausted, and the stored grain can only last for twenty days at most, and if you don't leave now, you will have no chance to leave! The only difference, however, was that Shang Cheng suggested that the army should be encircled, and the result of their deliberation was to ...... to the south.

Xiao Jian stared at Shang Cheng and asked word by word, "What is the reason for your proposal to go east?" ”

Shang Cheng's right index finger poked at a point on the east side of Mogan Dazhai on the map, and said with a glittering gaze: "This is it, the White Wolf Pass seventy miles away from Moganzhai!" When his subordinates were transferred from the Right Route Army, they once passed through here, and the White Wolf Pass was an easy place to defend and difficult to attack, with 5,000 soldiers, if the supplies were sufficient, they could hold this place for ten to fifteen days, enough for the army to get rid of the enemy's tailing. He paused, then added, "If the Right Army had not been defeated like the Left Army, they would have tried their best to get closer to Moganzhai, and their minimum goal would be to occupy the White Wolf Pass." Occupy this place and advance one by one, they can echo each other with the middle army, retreat, they can keep a safe distance from the enemy......"

A general interrupted him and interjected, "What if Old Yang Du doesn't move closer to us?" ”

If Yang Du dared to abandon the Middle Route Army, he would have fled back, and he would not be able to escape the sanctions of national law and military law! But Shang Cheng couldn't say this. He could only pretend not to hear this question, and continued: "If the right army does not come, we must also desperately defeat the White Wolf Pass, only to the east, the army has the greatest possibility to return to Zhao Land safely!" His hand moved south along the map, stopping at a point. The south is mostly grassland, suitable for the rapid movement of the enemy's cavalry, and our army's infantry and cavalry are mixed, and it is difficult to have a satisfactory marching speed. Moreover, there are few suitable places to block the south, except for a tributary of the Heishui River here, which can be regarded as a natural barrier, and may be able to hold back the enemy. But we were too far away from that place, a hundred and sixty miles, and it would take at least four to six days for the cavalry to advance lightly and plunder all the way. What if you get stuck with an enemy? And along the way, there are three blockade lines that have been discovered by us, and we don't know how many places there are, how many troops do the light cavalry of the vanguard team have to ensure that the tributaries of the Heishui River fall into our hands? ”

The other general shook his head with a deep groan and said, "The east side is not successful. Go to the south, back to Yanshan is only 400 miles, take the east road, that is, 800 miles and nearly 900 miles, the distance is too far, the food will definitely not be enough......" The first general to speak also agreed with his opinion, adding: "The east is not possible!" In recent days, the enemy in the east and south has changed their guard frequently, and the defensive forces on the east side have obviously strengthened, and it is obvious that they are also guarding us from moving east. ”

Xiao Jian didn't care about the controversy between the two generals, he just thought about it with a frown. He hung the corners of his mouth, narrowed his eyes, and his fierce gaze fell from behind his eyelids to the table, as if he wanted to carve a hole in the wood with his gaze. Until the two generals closed their mouths in amusement, he was still thinking about it. After a long time, he said faintly: "Break through to the south, this article will not be changed." Give you a brigade and 4,000 cavalry one by one, let you be the vanguard of the army, and lead the fight to the south, can you tear the opening? ”

Shang Cheng thought for a moment and said, "I am not sure about my position. ”

Xiao Jian snorted heavily in his nose, and glanced at Shang Cheng with his eyelids: "Beizheng Shang is blind, he doesn't even have this guts?" ”

Shang Cheng pursed his lips, unwilling to argue for himself in this matter. The south is the main force of the enemy, there are more than 20,000 people in the first line of defense, and 4,000 people are trying to touch the defensive positions that others have already arranged, and it is almost wishful thinking to tear a hole!

Xiao Jian took a sip of tea soup and said lightly: "I knew that you didn't dare to take on this task!" Fortunately, we already have other plans before you come......" He spat out a few pieces of tea residue, paused, and then said, "You go to Yanshan Weizhong Army to be Sima, and these 11,000 people will be handed over to you." ”

It took Shang Chengleng a long time to react to what Xiao Jian meant by these words. His face swelled red suddenly, the scar on his right cheek was almost dripping blood, he stepped forward and gave a military salute with his arm, and roared, "Yes!" 1. Guarantee ......"

Xiao Jian interrupted him and said with a cruel smile: "I don't want you to promise anything, I want you to tear a hole in the defense line of the Tuqi people!" If you can't tear through the defense, I'll tear you up! ”