In the second half of the first month of the first year of Hongxi, several batches of grain transported from afar by the Guangxi Political Envoy and the Jiaozhi Political Envoy finally arrived at the warehouse on the north bank of the Yuanjiang River.

Zhang Fu sent people to clean up the registration, which is expected to supply 100,000 people and horses for more than 20 days. Although it was still not enough to meet the January military ration he had previously requested, Zhang Fu thought it was enough for him to advance to the city of Kunming.

This place is about 600 miles away from Kunming City, if the army does not stop all the way, you can reach Kunming City in half a month!

Zhang Fu set out from Thang Long City and was still in Yuanjiang for two months, the main reason was that when the war broke out, the food stock in Cochin Province was insufficient, which led to the discouragement of the army; He did not dare to continue north until he had hoarded enough grain and grass, otherwise the grain route would be too long and more dangerous.

And now the problem has finally been alleviated. Zhang Fu ordered to march to Kunming immediately!

On the southern post road of Yunnan Buzheng Envoy, the terrain is mountainous, but there are few steep terrain of cliffs. The mountains are like beauties lying down, and their breasts are flat and spread out around.

So Zhang Fujun set out in parallel with three people and horses, and marched in unison along the direction of the post road. The baggage team carrying grain was located in the middle of the road, and the large army in front and behind and left and right rode in a queue to protect it; A small number of enemy cavalry could no longer attack and destroy his grain baggage.

When the army arrived at the boundary of Mengzi County, Lin'an Prefecture, Zhang Fu heard the general's report on the military situation, so he rode to the road of the Western Route Army. Following the direction of the general, Zhang Fu looked at it, and sure enough, he saw several black shadows riding men and horses on the top of the big hillside in the west.

The westerly sun was shining towards Zhang Fu's side, and Shuqi, who was about two miles away, had his back to the sun. Zhang Fu saw that he was very disadvantaged over there, he couldn't see clearly, and he only saw a figure.

The brigade of the officers and soldiers had already pursued a cavalry to the west. But the men were still there.

Zhang Fu looked at it for a while, but a sneer appeared on his face, and he turned his head and said, "The army continues to march, and all departments are on alert!" ”

"Order!"

Between the undulating mountains, a group of marching troops, leading horses, did not stop for a moment amid the sound of drums and huge footsteps, and continued to advance towards the north!

…… In the city of Yunnan Prefecture, a sergeant in the Han Palace's mansion grabbed the carrier pigeon that flew back to the cage, untied a note from his leg, and immediately walked quickly to the front hall office.

The sun was about to set, and Sheng Yong was still on the top of the city at this time.

"The enemy soldiers have retreated! Retreat ......" The excited shouts of the soldiers were heard not far away.

Sheng Yong looked at the city, looked at the crowd that was far away from everywhere like a tide, and said in his heart: I will come again tomorrow.

The bricks on the outside of the city wall were mottled, and between the bullet marks of countless shells, yellow-brown rammed earth was exposed, and the wall buttresses were also dilapidated. The smoke, dust, and soot that shrouded the air still did not dissipate. The ladder under the city walls, which burned with a raging fire, burned into charcoal, filled with black smoke.

Sheng Yong walked along the city wall, many tired soldiers, as well as the temporarily recruited young men sat directly on the city wall, and when Sheng Yong came over, they stood up one after another, clasped their fists and bowed: "Handsome, handsome!" ”

"Ben will get the exact news that the army of the King of Han is invincible and has captured Sichuan and Guizhou! Hundreds of thousands of horses are returning to the division to rescue Kunming, and the army has arrived in Guizhou! Sheng Yong said loudly.

He then gestured to his generals. The general shouted again: "The enemy army has come to Yunnan, burning, killing, looting and doing all kinds of evil, all over the city of Kunming, ten rooms and nine empty!" Kunming is the hometown of the brothers, and the enemy must not be allowed to step into the city! ”

Another military general shouted at the right time: "Defend Yunnan, swear to live and die with this city!" Many people shouted, "Coexist and die......

Immediately after the generous shouts, the pervasive murmur of pain echoed through the air.

However, many young men with dirt and tiredness on their faces still showed a determined gaze at this time, and some of them clenched their teeth.

After Sheng Yong inspected the city defense and deployed night guards, he returned to the Han Palace. By this time it was completely dark.

He walked into the government office near the south gate and found that the lights were still on inside. The eunuch Wang Gui walked over head-on, and when he saw Sheng Yong, he hugged his fists and bowed: "Sheng Dashuai has worked hard." ”

Sheng Yong nodded, pointed to the lamp in the government office and said, "Mr. Li is still inside?" ”

Wang Guidao: "In the mile, I am reading "The Mean" again. ”

"The prince still understands "The Mean"?" Sheng Yong said casually.

Wang Guidao: "When our family was in Yanwang's Mansion, we knew how to read and read. By the way, do you know why Mr. Li likes to read "The Mean"? ”

Sheng Yong shook his head and asked curiously, "Why?" ”

Wang Gui glanced left and right, and whispered: "Reading his old good." It is said that 'Mr. Li' lived in a dilapidated inn before the Beijing Master Examination, and there was a kiln sister in it who loved to listen to his reading.

Sister Yao often took care of him, and did not take money, but funded Mr. Li a sum of money for his imperial examination. Mr. Li promised to win the Jinshi, so he came back to find Sister Nayao and repay her. Unexpectedly, after Mr. Li left, Zhang Xin happened to see Sister Yao, coveted her beauty, and forcibly bought it. ”

Sheng Yong couldn't help but ask, "What happened to Sister Yao?" ”

Wang Gui said: "It's dead." was tortured and beaten to death by Zhang Xin's family. ”

Sheng Yong frowned and was silent for a moment, and said, "Why haven't I heard Mr. Li talk about it?" ”

Wang Gui shook his head and said, "Our family didn't listen to Mr. Li. Before the 'Battle of Jingjing', the prince wanted to persuade Zhang Xin, the commander of the capital of Beiping, to collect Zhang Xin's affairs, and accidentally inquired about it. ”

"I see." Sheng Yong nodded, pointed to the government office and said, "I still have something to do to see Mr. Li, so I will leave first." ”

Wang Gui hugged his fists and said, "Dashuai, you are busy with you." ”

Sheng Yong just walked outside the door of the government office, and sure enough, he heard the sound of Mr. Li reading inside, "The destiny of heaven is sex, the spontaneity is the Tao, and the cultivation is the teaching." Those who are also in the Tao must not be separated from it; can be separated, not the way. Therefore a gentleman is cautious of what he does not see, and fearful of what he does not hear......"

Pushing open the door, I heard Mr. Li's voice, "General Sheng is back." ”

Sheng Yong nodded, he remembered that Mr. Li had said before that whenever he encountered something big and was restless, he loved to read "The Mean". What might have happened today?

Sheng Yong first walked to the Taishi chair next to Mr. Li and sat down, still exhausted and let out a long sigh of relief. He turned his head, and suddenly saw a crumpled note pressed against the lid of a cup on the coffee table. He immediately picked it up and looked at it.

The handwriting of peace.

Sheng Yong's face suddenly changed: "Zhang Fujun is coming?!" ”

Mr. Li put down the book in his hand, nodded and said, "According to the news before Ping'an, Zhang Fujun's delay in coming is not because of the lack of fighting, but because the military rations are not enough. Recently, Zhang Fu seems to have received enough grain and straw, and is expected to arrive in Kunming City in half a month. ”

Sheng Yong's three vertical lines between his eyebrows deepened, and he blurted out: "Then the enemy army outside Kunming City, won't it be necessary to increase the number of troops to 200,000 in half a month?" ”

"That's how it should be." Mr. Li said, "Ping An only has more than 3,000 horsemen, and it is impossible to stop Zhang Fu's 100,000 army by attacking alone. ”

There was silence in the room for a long time, and Sheng Yong was speechless. The so-called Qiao woman is difficult to cook without rice, no matter how he can deploy the city defense, he can't defend it with insufficient troops!

When Sheng Yong and Tie Xuan guarded Shandong together, all kinds of soldiers and horses added up, and there were two or three hundred thousand! At that time, Li Jinglong's 600,000 army had just been defeated in the north and suffered heavy losses, but a considerable number of remnants of the defeated army fled to Jinan City; Moreover, Tie Xuan mobilized the remaining guards on the ground in Shandong Province in advance and gathered troops to defend Jinan.

And now Sheng Yong has a total of more than 20,000 troops in his hands, and he has been defending for so long, and nearly half of the soldiers have been killed or wounded. If it weren't for Mr. Li's many suggestions and instigation of the people of Kunming City to help defend themselves, they might not be able to defend it now!

"The city is only broken for a long time." Sheng Yong finally said in a calm tone like a statement, "When Zhang Fujun arrives, the siege will be even more intense, I'm afraid that 'that moment' will not be long after." ”

Mr. Li nodded, speechless.

After a while, Sheng Yong's expression turned grim, and he said in a calm tone: "Should we find a way to break through?" ”

Mr. Li groaned and was noncommittal, and only asked, "Wait for the news of the Han King?" ”

Sheng Yong said: "Of course, it's best to wait." But if you want to break through, it is best within half a month, before the arrival of Zhang Fujun; Otherwise, 200,000 heavy troops will besiege it, and it will be almost impossible to break through! ”

Mr. Li suddenly stood up, took a box of chess from the bookshelf, and said, "Today's battle is a short break, General Sheng will accompany me to play a game?" ”

Sheng Yong was not interested at this time, but it was not easy to refuse, so he hugged his fists and said: "It is better to be respectful than to obey your fate." ”

The temperature difference between day and night in Yunnan is very large, and the day is not cold in early spring, but after nightfall, the cold invades silently. In the sound of "popping" from time to time, Sheng Yong gradually felt the coolness between his fingers.

After a long time, the chessboard became an endgame. Sheng Yong is a military general after all, and he is not as long as a literati in the study, and gradually feels that the chess game cannot be supported. His gaze shifted from one chess piece to another, and his fingers became hesitant.

Mr. Li finally spoke: "Once chess becomes an endgame, there will be fewer and fewer movable pieces. If you use a cannon, the horse will be eaten by me; You move the car, and after three steps, I will force you to be handsome. One son looks at one son, one ring is linked to another, and the whole body is moved. ”

Sheng Yong raised his head, with a slight expression on his face, "Mr. Li knows some art of war. ”

Mr. Li said in a deep voice: "How many years have I been working in the Ministry of War?" ”

Sheng Yong said: "The last general can't remember. ”

Mr. Li said: "As soon as Kunming moves, Zhang Fu and Gu Chengzhi's soldiers will definitely be transferred to Guizhou." As soon as the Yunnan battlefield is abandoned, the Guizhou battlefield will also have to be abandoned, and then we will only have Sichuan, which is surrounded by enemies. ”

Sheng Yong moved, looked up and said, "I know." However, in chess, there is no distinction between the rook and the horse, but there is a difference between strength and weakness on the battlefield. ”

Mr. Li nodded lightly, and fell with a "snap": "General! ”

Sheng Yong looked down, with an embarrassed look on his face.