"Deng Qing!" Zhao Qi lost his voice. He stared at Deng Su, his eyes as if they were about to bulge.

Cao Di turned his head to look at it, Zhao Qi was like falling into an ice valley, he seemed to realize something, his mouth opened wide, and he didn't say anything. Although it was the middle of summer, the atmosphere was as cold as ice for thousands of years, but with a suffocating anxiety. The general's own soldiers had already retreated, and only the breath of the three people of different lengths could be heard in the tent of the Chinese army, and every second seemed as long as a year.

"Lord Deng is so bold!"

After being silent for a moment, Cao Di suddenly smiled, the air like ice melted away at this moment, Deng Su's face sank like water, but Zhao Qi's back was already soaked in cold. "If Lord Deng had come a few days ago, maybe it would have been like that." Cao Di said slowly, "Just now the scout came to report, the Liao army's forward 5,000 cavalry has arrived at the city of Ezhou, and the army will arrive in an instant. A rare wry smile appeared on his face, "This peace negotiation should be carried out as soon as possible." ”

"Huh? So fast? Zhao Qi was shocked. Deng Su said: "What about Liu Yanqing? ”

"I'll leave this to the old man." Cao Di's tone was arrogant, and Zhao Qi couldn't help but shudder. Deng Su was stunned for a moment, and asked: "Use Zhao Xingde to take charge of the southeast camp?" Cao Di's eyes fell on him, looked up and down for a moment, and suddenly said: "Lord Deng is bold, haven't you ever thought of personally going out to take charge of the southeast camp?" There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone, and Deng Su's brow furrowed. Without waiting for him to resign, Cao Di said again: "Zhao Xingde was born in Hebei, and he was appreciated and promoted by Wang Yan, and it is not abrupt for him to take over the southeast camp. However, when following the old practice of changing commanders in the imperial court, except for the subordinates of the old generals of the southeast camp, he must bring no more than 20 relatives. ”

Deng Su groaned slightly, Zhao Qi looked at him nervously, Deng Su nodded and said, "Okay!" ”

"Good!" Cao Di followed closely. The two looked at each other, and Cao Di said: "The Yelu Dashi army is advancing, in order to prevent the enemy from being attacked on the back of the abdomen, and the battle against the water, our army will withdraw to Jiangdong, and the soldiers will be in danger, and I hope that Lord Deng will stay by His Majesty's side for a good life, and don't be derelict in his duties." Your Majesty is a body of gold, and if you make a big mistake, you can regret it too late. The old man still has military affairs to arrange here. With that, Cao Di bowed and retired.

In order to prevent the morale of the army from being shaken, Cao Di has been tightly blocking the news of the emergence of the vanguard of the Liao army, however, the Xijing camp is intertwined, and there is no secret among the generals who have been friends for generations. The news of the arrival of the Liao army spread even faster than the military order to retreat to the south of the Yangtze River, accompanied by all kinds of rumors, spread in the Xiangyang army like wildfire, and the Song army units that were still attacking Ezhou with all their might just now suddenly lost their will to fight.

"The Khitan soldiers and horses are here!"

"If you retreat slowly, you will be a vain ghost!"

"The official family is already preparing to retreat to Quang Nam Road."

Zhao Qi sent Cao Di to the gate of the main hall, and saw that on the north bank of the river, a team of soldiers and horses were crowded on the dock to compete for boats to cross the river. If in normal times, I just feel that the military discipline is not appeased, but at this moment, Zhao Qi has a sad meaning in his life, shook his head and said: "Defeated, defeated, where to retreat is a game, and if I don't cheer up, how can I face the ancestors and ancestors underground." He turned to Deng Su and said: "To persuade Chen Dong and others, and to work for the country, it is all entrusted to Deng Qing." ”

Deng Su gave up his hand, he looked at the crowded boats in the surging river from afar, and let out a long sigh. At this moment, there is a feeling of exhaustion. The Great Song River is declining, how can we save the day?

............

At the head of Ezhou City, Zhao Xingde watched the Xiangyang army rushing to cross the Yangtze River with mixed feelings, and every army and battalion was afraid of being left behind, and next to the rushing army, there were even no soldiers and horses to protect them. The Jiangbei camp, which covers a wide area, is like a messy honeycomb, emitting all kinds of noisy noise, only people come out, but no people enter. Even in the city of Hanyang, people and horses are constantly pouring out. Although it was a matter of time before the Liao soldiers went south, before the matter really came, there were always people who were lucky, and now they panicked as if the sky had fallen.

In addition to the army, many ordinary people also crossed to Jiangdong in a hurry. Most of the people of Ezhou fled before the arrival of the Xiangyang army, and the people in the army were coerced along the way, as well as the families of the soldiers who followed the army south from Xiangyang. On the wide river, in addition to large and small boats, there are all kinds of garbage floating in the river, and near the pier, there are many people who have fallen into the water struggling in the river. There are two boats because they are too loaded and can not withstand the waves and sink in the big river, most of the boats are Xijing soldiers, different water nature, screams and cries for help, Ezhou city can be heard clearly.

"It's so chaotic, it's enough for Lao Tzu to take five thousand horsemen," Ma Rui shook his head and asked again, "General Tong has asked a few times, is it not to fight?" "The Xiangyang army suddenly had a thousand sails racing, hundreds of boats competing for the current, at that time to startle Tong Yunjie, although the Han army sailor gunboat is powerful, but it can't stand the ants to bite the elephant to death, so while temporarily retreating and the Song army sailor distance, while using the flag language to ask Zhao Xingde for disposal.

"The Liao army heading south has arrived." Zhao Xingde's face was solemn, "Inform General Tong, wait for the Xiangyang army to retreat, and prepare for a big battle." Although he didn't get any definite information, he was already eight or nine sure. The Xiangyang army under the city didn't even care about attacking the city, and retreated to the camp as if it had suffered a defeat. If it weren't for the efforts of some generals to maintain military discipline, the soldiers whose morale had been demoralized to the extreme might even turn around immediately and continue to flee south, fleeing to a place where there were no Liao troops, leaving the city, land, and people to the Liao soldiers.

Hanyang City and Ezhou were far away, and a group of cavalry surrounded a general from Hanyang City to the dock by the river, and this group of soldiers was used to rampant, and when they arrived at the dock, they were like wolves collecting ships. However, at this moment, everyone thinks that the father and mother have two legs, and the boat is even more life-saving, who can let it out? Most of the people in the Xiangyang army have been in the army for generations, and they are usually deducted some military salaries, and they are just sent to and fro, but at this time, who is willing to give in? Almost instantly, several groups of men and horses showed their swords and fought for the ships. It turned out that some family members gathered on the dock, and when they saw the situation, they immediately cried and shouted for their mothers to flee in all directions.

"His grandmother's," Tong Yunjie scolded, "they don't even guard Hanyang?" ”

"The general abandoned the city and left, and it is difficult to defend it." Zhao Xingde's tone was calm and terrifying. He wanted to kill the man who had abandoned the city and fled at once. Hanyang and Ezhou Jiajiang are opposite, if you hold the two cities and block the river with artillery, you will be stuck in the Liao army's access to the south of the Yangtze River from the Han River. At the same time, Hanyang is on the north bank of the river, relying on it, it can attack and defend with the Liao army, and it will not be too passive. However, Xiangyang, the general who defended the city, did not even see the Liao army, so he abandoned the city and fled.

"Bang-" Zhao Xingde's fist slammed into the hard city wall.

Qiu Anshi, the secretary of the Prime Minister's Mansion who was walking forward, was startled, bowed down and said, "Chen Xianggong has something important to ask General Zhao to go to discuss." ”

"I'll come when I go!" Zhao Xingde turned to Ma Rui and said, "Brother Ma wants to see these guys under the prison city." He followed the scribe of the Prime Minister's Mansion down to the Qingyuan Gate, Zhao Xingde thought that Chen Dong had invited him to the Prime Minister's Mansion to discuss the countermeasures, and he did not bring a guard with him, who knew that this scribe took the path straight to the Dongpu in the East City, if it weren't for this Qiu Anshi was a scribe familiar to Zhao Xingde, Zhao Xingde would almost suspect his intentions.

"Why are you in Dongpu when you see me?" Zhao Xingde thought about it and asked with a smile: "Didn't Chen Xianggong invite a distinguished guest?" ”

"I don't know." Qiu Anshi said respectfully, "However, Chen Xianggong just ordered to book a secluded private room in the East Garden. ”

"Oh." Zhao Xingde nodded, didn't ask any more, and followed Qiu Anshi into the East Garden. There are a number of restaurants outside the city, and there are many people coming and going, Chen Dong has always been light and simple, and there are only three or two guards outside the courtyard gate. Qiu Anshi brought Zhao Xingde to the door, but he respectfully waited outside the hospital.

The elegant room is not big, Zhao Xingdemai walked inside, and saw Chen Dong and Cao Liangshi waiting indoors, with a slightly strange expression. Four tea cups were placed on the table, and another person had his back to the door, as if admiring the paintings and calligraphy hanging on the wall. This scene seems to have a feast and drink in Bianliang Taixue, but it is incompatible with the tense atmosphere at the moment. Zhao Xingde was slightly surprised in his heart, but when he saw the man turn around, he smiled and said, "Brother Yuanzhi, don't come to harm?" ”

"Deng Shouyi?" Zhao Xingde exclaimed, the smile in his eyes flashed, he looked at Chen Dong and Cao Liangshi, and asked, "What happened to Brother Deng?" ”

............

"Cao Xianggong, please get on board."

On the pier of Yangluobao, Cao Di seemed to be suddenly awakened, he "oh" a body, surrounded by his own soldiers, and stepped on the board. As the deployment of the Xijing camp, Cao Di is not good at the way of water warfare, and even has a faint dislike for water, however, at this moment, this river has become the support of hundreds of thousands of troops to survive.

The wind was strong on the river, and the general asked the marshal to return to the cabin, Cao Di waved his hand and stood at the bow of the boat wrapped in a military robe. The boat shook violently a few times, and then left the dock and slowly headed for the opposite shore. The move to Jiangdong almost turned into a rout, so he was secretly glad and promised Deng Su, a junior scholar, to negotiate peace. If not, even if Liu Yanqing's southeast camp is annexed, I am afraid that it will not be able to stop Yelu Dashi. "Zhao Xingde, Han Shizhong, and Yue Fei are in full swing, and they join forces with these juniors, and there may be a chance to redeem them."

The boat arrived after a short time, and many soldiers looked back at the river facing the shore, the water was not too wide, but they did not know when they would be able to go back. Since the fall of Xiangyang, the southbound army was cut off from Xijing by the Liao army.

Cao Di let out a long sigh, as happy and angry as usual, however, suddenly he seemed to be a few years older.

"Dashuai, about the division of the camp, Liu Yanqing promised to discuss it with the two families." The subordinates stepped forward to stand up.

"Okay." Cao Di nodded emphatically and made up his mind, "You wait to act according to the plan." He has never looked down on Deng Su, but now he praises him, he is young, but he can know the severity. Deng Su's dealings with Ezhou to negotiate peace, in addition to not avoiding Cao Di's omnipresent eyes and ears, also concealed it from others, and Liu Yanqing didn't know that the southeast camp was deployed. At the moment of the great enemy, Liu Yanqing would never have thought that Cao Di would suddenly attack him.