On the wall of the ancient city, the emperor held the battlements and looked outside the city, at first he heard Meng Chang'an's report that he had found the black army about 100 miles north of the ancient city, and he seemed to have some emotional fluctuations, but at this moment, he already looked calm as if nothing had happened, and there was no emotion on that face, all of which seemed to be expected.

"Your Majesty!"

Shen Leng and Meng Changan leaned over at the same time: "Please evacuate Your Majesty." ”

At this time, if you go, it is still too late, rush to the southwest from other ancient cities, do not go due south to contact with Sambulu's army, and go all the way to the southwest to kill back to the Three-Eyed Tiger Mountain Pass, as long as you pass the Three-Eyed Tiger Mountain Pass, it is impossible for the pursuers of the Black Warriors to easily catch up, the Three-Eyed Tiger Mountain Pass is so tall and strong, there is no problem in blocking the Black Warriors, don't forget that it is the Xiongguan that can block Shen Leng Meng Chang'an.

At this time, the enemy army still has a hundred miles recently, all the cavalry escorted the emperor away, and the infantry retreated while fighting, which seemed to be the best strategy, but this strategy was bound to suffer heavy losses, and it was only the cavalry and His Majesty led by Meng Changan who were sure to withdraw, and the infantry led by Shen Leng was afraid that they would not be able to go.

"I don't believe it, neither of you thought that Xinfengyue would come."

The emperor's gaze was still looking at the outside of the city: "The reason why the black warriors are strong is not because of their strong internal fighting, no country in this world with serious internal fighting will be strong, Daning is strong because of unity, and the black warriors are strong because of unity, to the height of Xin Fengyue and Samburu, they will not let the country perish because of internal fighting, they can see it clearly." ”

Shen Leng and Meng Changan glanced at each other, and both of them guessed correctly.

This is also the biggest worry of the two people, the emperor still has to stick to other ancient cities even though he knows that Xin Fengyue will come, because the emperor wants to take this place as the key to victory, both of them thought that Xin Fengyue will come, how could the emperor not think of it?

This is the biggest gamble and the biggest variable in this war.

The emperor said that this battle must not drag on for three years, three years is too long, when he was in Chang'an City, Shen Leng asked the emperor what he could do, the emperor smiled and did not answer, at that time, the emperor was actually determined to gamble on himself to win this battle.

"I have nothing to worry about."

The emperor pointed out of the city: "Sambrü has a large army of 300,000. ”

He pointed to the north again: "Xin Fengyue has an army of 500,000. ”

After saying these two sentences, the emperor laughed: "It seems that the menacing ambition is bound to win, and they should indeed win in such a force comparison, if they are not confident in this situation, then they really don't need to pay attention to it, but do you know why I am not worried?" Because...... I am gambling on myself, and the black warriors have already gambled on the fortune of the country. ”

Shen Leng and Meng Changan were stunned at the same time.

The emperor waved his hand and motioned for everyone else to retreat first, leaving only Shen Leng and Meng Changan.

"What is the Minister of Humerus?"

The emperor looked at Shen Leng and Meng Chang'an: "First, the country can rely on it, and second, the emperor can rely on it." ”

His tone was flat, but it seemed to have a power that pointed directly at people's hearts.

"You are the ministers of Daning, the people I can rely on, Shen Leng, do you remember that when I left Chang'an, I told you that I gave myself to you...... I will give you a detailed account today, you may all be able to see it, but you are suspicious but you don't dare to ask, and you don't dare to inquire about the prince's ......."

The Emperor paused: "Why."

When I leave Chang'an, I want the prince to be in charge of the country? If I don't worry about him, I can take him to the north instead of staying in Chang'an, relying on the cabinet ministers headed by Cheng, even if there is no prince to supervise the country, what can happen, I am afraid that it will be much more stable than the prince staying, I insist on keeping the prince in Chang'an, because I have already prepared for death, so I have to prepare for Daning more. ”

The faces of Shen Leng and Meng Changan turned pale in an instant.

"Scared?"

The emperor stood on the edge of the city wall, looking into the distance, he looked like a majestic mountain.

"I said that I would use this battle to fight for Daning for a hundred years, it is too safe and stable, and it will be strong and invincible for a hundred years, not just talking, what is the life and death of one person? Compared with Daning's century-old foundation, I am insignificant...... You two look outside, they were all the Central Plains, and they have been occupied by the Black Warriors for hundreds of years, and the people here have been deeply rooted in the feeling that they are the slaves of the Black Warriors. ”

"I stayed here, just like Zhuang Yong stayed in Fengyantai that year, Zhuang Yong didn't give up until the last soldier, why? It is because he firmly believes that the reinforcements led by Tie Liuli can come, and they will come, and I also firmly believe that Wu Xinyu will come, I put myself here, and handed over the next hundred years of Daning's inheritance to Wu Xinyu, I believe in him, and he will live up to me. ”

"If I go, fortunately, there is still the prince...... What does he want I know, I keep him because Daning needs him at this moment, whether he is qualified or not, I am gone, he is here, and Daning's foundation will not move. ”

This is why the emperor wants to keep the crown prince, even if he has found so many things, he has never picked out the reason, Shen Leng only then woke up, the emperor's judgment on this moment may not be three years ago, five years ago, but ten years ago, or even fifteen years ago...... The Northern Expedition is something that the emperor must complete, and the emperor has been preparing for the Northern Expedition all these years.

No matter how bad the prince is, he is also a master of success, he only needs to do nothing, Daning is still stable, the emperor has said this sentence more than once, to the old dean, to Yuan Shu of Shantai, to Lai Chengdu, but they can't understand the decision in His Majesty's heart when he said these four words, and they can't detect this decision, they just don't understand why the emperor knows why the prince still keeps the prince if he doesn't make it, but he can't think about this level.

The emperor has made preparations for death, and has the determination to die.

"I'm here, the black warriors won't give up, as long as I'm alive, Samburu and Xin Fengyue will keep attacking, I'm like the most delicious bait, I've fished them here, I've fished them here, I've fished the 800,000 army here, I have to buy more time for Wu Xinyu."

The emperor looked back at Shen Leng and Meng Changan again: "I have given myself to you. ”

Shen Leng and Meng Changan leaned over at the same time.

The emperor let out a long breath: "People live, and they fight with people...... I am the emperor, I am alive, I fight with the sky, the sky does not let me, I take it myself. ”

This sentence ignited Shen Leng and Meng Changan's enthusiasm.

"It's just a war."

The emperor smiled: "What's there." ”

Shen Leng and Meng Changan said one word at the same time: "Fight!" ”

The emperor said: "Now you should also understand why I haven't let the crossbow array car made by the bearded man go into battle so far, it is a big killing weapon that can only be used at the most critical time, and in the battle of Wild Deer Plain, the crossbow array car is a big killing weapon that tears apart the defense line of the black warriors." ”

The emperor's hand slapped on the battlements: "The black warriors know unity, so let them see what unity is, and compete with the Ning people."

Knot, no one in the whole world. ”

No one!

Half an hour later, under the city.

Shen Leng pulled Meng Changan, Meng Changan looked back at Shen Leng, frowning slightly: "I know what you're thinking, no." ”

Shen Leng glared at him: "Can you not be so stupid?" ”

"Silly?"

Meng Changan stopped, turned to look at Shen Leng's eyes, and said seriously: "If you don't say it, I know what you want to say, you want me to take all the cavalry and escort His Majesty away when the ancient city may not be able to hold it, right?" You will take the rest of the men and horses to block the pursuers for us, I know, even if a guy like you dies behind me, he will not shout back, you care about Your Majesty, you know that if Your Majesty has something to do, Daning will be unstable, and if Daning is unstable, the people will not be able to continue to live a good life. ”

"But that's not the most important thing, the most important thing is that you want me to go, you want to block it for me."

Meng Changan stared at Shen Leng's eyes: "But have you ever thought about it, that year, my father arrested Mr. Shen and Cha'er, and the water bandits under him arrested me too, you only saw me after I was arrested, but not before I was arrested, why would they catch me?" ”

Shen Leng was stunned.

Meng Changan said lightly: "Because when I passed by, I saw Mr. Shen's merchant flag on that ship, silly boy, you mentioned it to me, you said that the surname Shen treated you very well, I also scolded you at the time, saying that no matter how good you are, you are an outsider, not a family member, but I remember, thinking that the person who can treat you well should not be bad, when I passed by, I saw that the merchant ship burned, I passed, not that I had the confidence to kill all the bandits, how old I was at that time, the calmest choice was to escape...... I didn't run away because I knew that Mr. Shen was the person you cared about, and if they died, you stupid boy would be sad, you were already so bitter, and it was not good to be sad. ”

Shen Leng looked at Meng Changan in a daze, not knowing what to say.

Meng Changan patted Shen Leng on the shoulder: "That's the person you care about, not the person I care about, I want to save them, just because of you and not because of them...... Your Majesty is the person you care about, and I will fight to protect Your Majesty, but the premise is that you can't have anything, people like me are not afraid of any big rebellion, and I am not afraid of thunder and thunder, of course, I am not afraid of being spurned by thousands of people, make a choice between Your Majesty and you, I choose you. ”

After Meng Changan said this, he turned around and walked forward: "Your Majesty has something to do with Daning, and you have something to do with me." ”

Shen Leng stood there and watched the guy walk forward, as if something was beating him like a drum in his heart, and it hurt a little...... For Meng Changan, in this world, only the word brother cannot be disappointed.

Meng Changan is loyal to Daning, and he cares about his wife and children, but once it comes to Shen Leng, he will become a ruthless and unrighteous person, he can abandon this Daning, he can abandon this wife and children, he is a bastard.

But he's a good brother.

"Don't think about it so much."

The voice came from a distance, and Meng Changan seemed to be a little dissatisfied with Shen Leng's reaction.

"Think about how to fight this battle first, not how to escape, before making a choice, don't forget the general armor on you and me, don't forget that you and I are both soldiers...... The general Zhuang Yong should be sadder than us when he was alone in guarding the sealed inkstone, more tormented than us, he held on, why can't we hold it? ”

Meng Changan stopped and looked back at Shen Leng: "I'm a person who doesn't want to lose." ”

Shen Leng took a deep breath and laughed.

"Who isn't?"