Xu Ku returned to Yecheng, the weather became colder and colder, and the sound of the soldiers' armor became more and more crisp.

The advance of the Liang army attacked for two days and two nights, leaving a lot of worries on the city wall, green smoke was rising in some places, and the corpses and blood stains had not yet had time to be cleaned.

Ma Wei's information was very accurate, there were not many defenders in Yecheng, although the resistance was very resolute, but they were finally outnumbered, and they responded in a hurry, seeing that the enemy army was about to ascend to the top of the city, the city defenders opened the door and surrendered.

Ma Wei led the army just arrived, overjoyed, immediately rewarded the whole army, named the forward general as the champion general, divided more soldiers and horses, and ordered him to continue to go north to attack Yuyang, and he was going to enter Yecheng to announce the soldiers and people of Jizhou: King Liang is coming.

Xu Ji was reluctant to enter the city.

Chang Yanzhi had a lot of feelings for Yecheng, and still persuaded: "Son, let's go to the city, this is a helpless thing, Yecheng should have this catastrophe." King Liang has already entered the city, and he will definitely summon his son later, and he will go too late and be disgusted. ”

Xu said: "I'm not thinking of Yecheng, it's King Liang." ”

"What's wrong with King Liang?" Chang Yanzhi asked in a low voice, looking back and forth to make sure that no one was eavesdropping.

"King Liang claimed to capture the entire Jizhou within a month, but he"

"Someone's coming." Chang Yanzhi reminded.

An apricot man rode over and stopped to say hello.

Qiao Zhisu was originally a staff member of the general, and he came to King Liang's side, stayed for a long time, gradually became loyal, and had no intention of leaving, and bowed his hand to Xu Ji: "Why didn't Xu Gongzi enter the city?" ”

Xu Tuan said: "Don't dare to enter." ”

"Why is that?"

"I thought that the Liang army was here to capture Jizhou, but everyone in the audience was happy, it seemed that the capture of Yecheng had been completed, I was puzzled, I was afraid that after entering the city, I would not show it and annoy people."

Qiao Zhisu smiled: "Understood, please wait here for a while." ”

Qiao Zhisu led people into the city, and Chang Yanzhi asked suspiciously, "What does he understand?" ”

"He is a minister of the king of Liang, and it is time for him to admonish."

"King Liang has obviously sent a large army to attack Yuyang, why do Gongzi and Mr. Qiao say that King Liang seems to be complacent? Can't you even look happy when you take a big city? ”

"The forward soldiers worked hard to attack the city, hoping to get a heavy reward, so they were happy, and the soldiers in the rear were exempted from a red battle, and their lives were worry-free, so they were happy, all of which were due and blameless. But King Liang's face showed a point of joy, and the generals had three points in their hearts, and six points for the soldiers, everyone was happy, who wanted to leave Yecheng? And as soon as the forward soldiers captured the city, they were sent to attack Yuyang again, and the people they relied on were nothing more than the rear army, and once the army was lazy, there was no fighting spirit in the front. ”

Chang Yanzhi smiled and said, "Just listen to Gongzi's reminder, can Mr. Qiao think of these things?" ”

"He had thought of these things for a long time, and after listening to my reminders, he decided to go to King Liang for advice."

"Hehe, I kind of understand the routine of the strategist, that is, we must say that the new is big, and the big thing is small, when persuading people to compete for the world, it seems that everything is at your fingertips, and when persuading people to pay attention to their words and deeds, it seems that a smile can cause a big disaster."

Xu Ji nodded, "You learn quickly." ”

"No wonder people like Gongzi are willing to be strategists - you try to spur others on by all means, but you don't have to take responsibility and consequences, as long as King Liang keeps moving forward, the strategists will follow."

"Haha, you may have learned too fast, but you forgot the saying, a companion is like a tiger. Spurring the tiger is not a simple and easy thing, when the tiger runs happily, it will not care about the writing on the body, once it stops, it will remember all the previous things, and give birth to the intention of anti-devouring the strategist. ”

"No wonder Gongzi asked Mr. Qiao to persuade him, but he didn't go." Chang Yanzhi nodded again and again, and immediately added: "I'm not saying that Gongzi is timid, but that Gongzi is well-versed in human feelings, can seek blessings and avoid disasters, and in troubled times, there is nothing else." ”

"Where do I have 'access'?" Xu Chuan muttered and sighed softly.

The general galloped out of the city, ordered the whole army to turn around, and camped outside the city, and everyone was disappointed, but it was not long before the king of Liang led a large group of people out of the city, and also wanted to go outside the city, so as to stop the depression in time.

The tent had just been erected, and Xu Ci was summoned.

Ma Wei was discussing with the generals, arranging for someone to defend the city, someone to go to Yuyang, someone to supervise the transportation of grain and grass, and someone to spread the word to the Sifang counties and counties to surrender in the name of "Emperor Tiancheng".

Everything was urgent, and some people set out immediately after receiving orders, while others were delayed for at most one night and had to leave early the next morning.

The generals retired one after another, Ma Wei sat on the chair to rest for a while, turned his head to Xu Ji and said, "Are you satisfied?" ”

"King Liang's great cause, it's good to be satisfied with yourself." Xu Ji smiled.

Ma Wei waved his hand, ordered Gao Shengze and other attendants and guards to retreat, and then said, "Why don't you come to persuade me yourself, you have to borrow Qiao Zhisu's mouth?" ”

"Mr. Joe said it was my idea?"

"He didn't say anything, but if you wouldn't go into the city, I knew you were behind your back."

"King Liang only cares if his words are right or not, why do you care who pouts? What's more, Mr. Qiao is self-sensible, and he doesn't need me to teach him, and he doesn't have a word. ”

Ma Wei stared at Xu Ji and sighed lightly, "Don't think I don't understand, you won't go into the city to persuade me, because you still think of yourself as a guest, not my advisor." ”

"King Liang is very courteous and makes me feel at home."

"Hey." Ma Wei had a lot to say, but at this time he was completely interested, "Stand down." ”

Xu Caogui can't do Guo Shifeng's access.

Early the next morning, the army set out from camp and went straight to Yuyang.

The weather was cold, the march was quite hard, especially at night, it was so cold that I couldn't sleep, and it was hard to sleep, and getting up early in the morning became a greater test, and the general had to strike the gong in front of the tent to call the soldiers up.

Ma Wei's fighting spirit is getting higher and higher, every day he has to rest in the middle of the night, get up at dawn, urge the army to march, and make all kinds of promises to the soldiers, "We will spend the winter in Jizhou this year." He had to say that at the beginning of every time.

However, as soon as the sky turned cloudy, Ma Wei would be restless, and call the astronomical officer who accompanied the army, and ask if it was going to snow heavily, and whoever provoked him at this time would be severely punished or even put to death.

Xu Chun hadn't seen Ma Wei much for a few days, as if he had been deliberately snubbed.

Chang Yanzhi began to worry about the fall of his son, because Xu Ji's face became paler, he ate and drank less, and he talked less.

That night, Xu Ci had just warmed up in the quilt and was about to sleep, when a soldier came to summon him.

Xu Chun got up and said: "I don't envy the strategists, in the end, it is the tiger that eats the meat, not the person with the whip." Alas, you will be able to go to Yuyang tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, no matter what the war is, Gongzi can always take a good rest. ”

It was even colder outside, the cold wind was howling, Xu Ji wrapped his clothes tightly, and followed the soldiers to King Liang's tent.

There was a charcoal fire in the tent, it was not as warm as spring, at least there was no biting cold, and Xu Ji immediately felt much more comfortable.

Ma Wei was reading a stack of official documents, motioned for Xu to take it down, and then continued to talk quietly with Gao Shengze, Qiao Zhisu and others, and soon the others retired, leaving only an old eunuch and a staff member to stay, the old eunuch stood, and the staff found a stool and sat in front of Xu Cong.

"Mr. Qiao, let's take a break." Ma Wei closed his eyes and took a nap, and Gao Shengze rubbed his shoulders.

Qiao Zhisu said to Xu Ji: "Yuyang wants to negotiate peace, and the envoy sent is on the way, and he will arrive soon, and King Liang hopes that Xu Gongzi can meet the envoy together." ”

"Okay."

Qiao Zhisu glanced at the official document on the table, "There has been a lot of news from all over the place in the past two days, does Xu Gongzi want to hear it?" ”

"There's Mr. Laujo."

"Let's talk about Jizhou first, the progress is very smooth, all counties have surrendered, and the army in front has also surrounded Yuyang, and it is just around the corner."

Qiao Zhisu is a staff member of King Liang, and the progress of the Liang army that he said is difficult to distinguish between fiction and reality, Xu Ji nodded and said nothing.

"The Sheng family in Huaizhou has learned that the Liang army entered Hebei and captured Yecheng, but there is no change, there are not many troops in Huaibei, it seems that it is to take advantage of the momentum, and the Sheng family's army is still concentrated in Huainan. King Liang speculated that the Sheng family was wrong and abandoned the Yuyang court and concentrated on preparing to attack Wuzhou. ”

"I think so."

"King Ning invaded Jingzhou, won big victories one after another, and was almost to Jiangling City≥ said that the Xi family asked Shan Yu for help, but the distant water could not quench the thirst of the near."

"Xiangyang has not yet been lost?"

"Xiangyang is still there, and the heroes of Jingzhou support the king of Xiangdong as the emperor, and confront the Bingzhou army, and there has been no victory."

"Shan Yu didn't send troops to Xiangyang?"

"Shan Yu is now in Hanzhou."

Xu Ji's face changed.

"He Rong's army pretended to increase its troops in Xiangyang, suddenly attacked the Meridian Dao, and won a complete victory."

"The Meridian Road is guarded by the Changshi Building, and he didn't destroy the plank road?"

"There is no way to know the specific news here, in short, Shan Yu has led a large army into Hanzhou, I don't know whether he wants to divide his troops to seize the whole territory, or to reinforce the state army, in any case, Xiangyang will not support next spring, and it is likely to fall within a month."

Xu Ji sighed, Lou Ji said that Hanzhou could hold for a winter, but as soon as the early winter arrived, the army was defeated, and Xu Ji didn't even have the opportunity to keep his promise to bring reinforcements, "Lou Changshi and General Tie have any whereabouts?" ”

Qiao Zhisu said, "There is very little news over there. ”

"Liang Jun entered Hebei, how to deal with it?"

"It's strange here, there is no response over there, it seems that I don't know the situation here."

"What about General Bao?"

"General Bao led his troops into Bingzhou, the news is not smooth, and the progress of Bingzhou can only be known after the checkpoints on both sides of the mountain range fall into the hands of the Liang army, which is fast, that is, a matter of ten days."

"Shan Yu will never be indifferent, there must be a plan." Xu Jidao.

Ma Wei opened his eyes and pushed Gao Shengze away, "Shan Yu is nothing more than to sneak attack the Eastern Capital and force me to return to defense, I have sent someone to remind Pan Kai not to go out of the city to face the battle no matter what, just defend the city." ”

Xu Ji was silent.

Ma Wei smiled: "What else can Shan Yu do? Send troops to help Yuyang? It was too late, not to mention that he still had a lot of things to do in Hanzhou and Jingzhou. ”

"I don't know." Xu Ji couldn't guess Shan Yu's plan.

A soldier came in and reported, "The Yuyang envoy has arrived. ”

Ma Wei got up, "Please ask the two of you to receive the envoy for me, I don't have anything to say." ”

Ma Wei left with Gao Shengze, and Xu Cuo Qiao Zhisu got up to see him off.

The envoy arrived quickly, and after entering the account, he didn't see King Liang, he was stunned at first, and then he saw Xu Cuo Qiao Zhisu, and he was stunned again, "The two are the ministers of King Liang?" ”

The envoy sent by Yuyang was Sun Yalu, who was very familiar with Xu and Qiao, and after asking, he chuckled, "I'm talking nonsense, please tell King Liang on my behalf, Shan Yu has prepared a large army in Yuyang to wait for Liang's army to enter the city." ”