In any case, Xu Ji was going to go to the Eastern Capital, and after the banquet, he said goodbye to the three parties.

The first one is Yang Qinya, Xu Ji didn't say a word, first returned the original orb, Yang Qinzai opened the golden ball, took out the beads and watched them for a long time, looked up and smiled: "I knew at a glance that this was my beads, but one day I didn't see it, I have to talk to it." ”

Xu Ji smiled and nodded.

Yang Qinya said again: "I think I have made it very clear, guarding Xiangyang is not our business in Jingzhou, just with our family, we can block the Bingzhou army, and we can't stop the He Rong cavalry behind, and with our reputation, it is difficult to recruit reinforcements, it must be the king of Xiangdong or the king of Jibei." ”

"The two kings don't seem to have won much." Xu Ji reminded.

"Haha, it's really not good for the two kings to fight, and it's not for them to come to lead the army, but to borrow the name of the king of the Zhang family."

"Was it General Chen's idea?"

Yang Qinya's face was slightly gloomy, "We sent troops to defend Xiangyang, Mr. Xu went to invite the two kings, everyone performed their duties, and they didn't have to know how the other party did things." ”

Xu Ji retreated, his strategy was only enough to gain temporary trust, once the other party woke up, he was suspicious of him, and the less he said at this time, the better.

Chen Yicai was sobering up and was about to leave Yiling City, and when he saw Xu Ji, he took out a letter, "I won't let you go to the Eastern Capital empty-handed, this is my letter to the two kings, you must hand it over to the two highnesses." ”

"Whether the two kings can come or not, the key lies in King Liang."

"King Liang is self-proclaimed, I don't recognize it, and I don't know him well, whether he can convince him depends on Mr. Xu. I believe that as long as Xu Gongzi shows five points of ability to persuade us to wait, it will be enough to make King Liang release him, and maybe even ask him to send an army to Xiangyang. ”

"I don't dare to promise too much to General Chen."

Chen Aicai came closer, "I can't promise too much to Xu Gongzi, the soldiers of the Southern Army are all people with families and businesses, and if you go north with me, there will already be a lot of casualties, and I can't waste a single soldier." Xiangyang can be kept, then kept, can not keep, then abandoned. Xu Gongzi said that I was the one who 'succeeded the absolute support', but this matter was too big for me to support alone. Xu Gongzi inspired me with bold words, and he should also set an example. ”

Xu Ji arched his hand and said, "I must do my best." ”

Chen Yicai also bowed his hand and snorted.

When Xi Cheng saw Xu Ji, he only whispered: "If you dare to deliver a letter to my wife, no matter whose letter it is, I will cut off your head, understand?" ”

"There is no other letter, but should General Xi Er give me a letter?"

Xi Cheng threw a letter to Xu Ji and waved his hand away.

The letter was written by Xi Cheng in the name of Xi Yun, the Duke of Hengguo, and it also meant to invite the two kings to come to Jingzhou.

Xu Ji called Shangchang Yanzhi and went to Xiangyang under the escort of hundreds of soldiers from each of the three families, which was the only way to the eastern capital of Luozhou, and at the same time, it was also the first batch of soldiers to rush to Xiangyang.

Chang Yanzhi was more restrained this time, he didn't drink too much, he was still able to sit on the horse steadily, not far from Yiling City, he approached Xu Ji, and whispered: "Say that the people of Jingzhou are timid, dare to go to the aid of Xiangyang, say that they are bold, but they can't find a person who dares to accept the name of the King of Chu, Song Zhuzhu dares, but unfortunately no one admits it." ”

"Inconsistencies, often because this person has a big plan, it is difficult to say it for a while, so it seems strange." Xu Ji muttered, roughly guessing the intentions of the three families.

"I don't want to be the king, but I still want to be the emperor?" Chang Yanzhi said in surprise.

Xu Ji smiled: "There are people who want to be called emperors, but not these three." ”

Chang Yanzhi was even more surprised, walked silently for a while, and finally figured out a few points, "The three families want to set up another court in Jingzhou, so that the emperor in the hands of Shan Yu will lose much use, and the three families will be justified in calling reinforcements in the name of the new court, and they will also have a history of being called the king in the future." Emperor of Yuyang...... There is also the county lord of Huanyan, but it is embarrassing. ”

Xu Ji sighed lightly, "Being smart is mistaken by being smart, it's me." ”

"What about Childe?"

"Let's go to the eastern capital first, it's more important to defend Xiangyang than to protect Yuyang."

"Why is it so important to guard Xiangyang? Is it because of the topography? ”

"Topography is important, and time of day is even more important. Hanzhou closed the customs and destroyed the road to fight against He Rong's army, this is the first step for babies to learn to walk, and guarding Xiangyang is the second step, these two steps are taken, the more and more stable they go, and there is a problem with one of these two steps...... "Xu Ji couldn't think about it.

The crowd rode horses and galloped, with little rest along the way, and saw the city of Xiangyang a few days later.

The three envoys had arrived in advance, coupled with the Song army that had arrived before, Xiangyang was excited, and almost poured out to meet the reinforcements, and they were all a little disappointed to see that the reinforcements were only more than 1,000 people in total.

The most disappointed person was the city lord Leng Yifang, when he sent a letter to Song Zhuzhu and Heng Guogong to rescue, he didn't expect to get a response, and he didn't expect an unknown "Mr. Xu" to appear halfway through the road to win more support for him.

He had expected to see at least 350,000 people coming, but when he looked at the procession at the end, he was puzzled and frightened, and asked, "Which one is Mr. Xu?" ”

Some soldiers turned and pointed back.

Leng Yifang has a big belly, standing under the canopy, quite eye-catching, Xu Ji rode a horse to the front, dismounted and arched his hand: "In Xia Xu Ji, I have seen Lord Leng." ”

"Ahh Leng Yifang was a little vague, and finally couldn't help asking, "Is there anyone else behind?" ”

"Yes, at most two days, the three armies of Xi, Chen, and Yang will arrive one after another."

Leng Yifang breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "I heard that Mr. Xu has been running for help in Xiangyang these days, and the soldiers and people in this city are all grateful, saying that they want to offer Mr. Xu as a bodhisattva." ”

"Xiangyang is a critical place, guarding a city will make the world safe, and I am also a person from the world, and I will do my best."

"Mr. Xu is too modest, and a thin wine has been prepared in the city to wash the dust for Mr. Xu and the three soldiers."

"I'm going into the city, but I can't stay."

"Where else is Mr. Xu going?"

"Luozhou, these reinforcements are not enough, and we have to continue to ask for help."

Leng Yifang was taken aback and smiled a little reluctantly, "Mr. Xu...... I heard that Mr. Xu is the son of a general? ”

"Hmm."

"No wonder, no wonder. But...... There are two things I don't understand. ”

"Lord Leng, excuse me."

"Reinforcements are coming, there will be more in the future, who are they going to be dispatched?"

"The guest is as he pleases, of course, at the disposal of Lord Leng." Xu Ji said casually, on this issue, the three families did not mention it, and in his judgment, no one would give up their military power.

"Hehe, in fact, I don't know much about fighting, I just read some military books when I was young, but it is my duty to guard Xiangyang, and it is my duty." Leng Yifang smiled much more naturally.

"What about the other thing?"

"Uh...... There are more and more reinforcements, and Xiangyang City does not have so much food and grass. ”

Xu Ji said with a smile: "Xi, Chen, and Yang all have enough grain and grass. ”

Leng Yifang breathed a sigh of relief again, "That's good, don't be like Song Qianshou and bring a group of hungry wolves...... Does Xu Gongzi really leave without a glass of wine? ”

"The situation is urgent. How long will it take for the state army to arrive? ”

Leng Yifang's face changed immediately, "The Wuguan has been broken, at most three days, and the state army will ......."

Song Zhuzhu walked over and interjected: "Come on, let's come on, hurry up and have a showdown." ”

"Reinforcements have not yet arrived, and the situation is unfavorable to Xiangyang." Leng Yifang said.

"King Jin and Shan Yu are not stupid, the situation is favorable to them, they will attack, the general trend is like this, how can Xiangyang be unfavorable."

Leng Yifang laughed twice, didn't answer, and said to Xu Ji: "I'll give Mr. Xu a ride, and it's okay to drink a glass of wine on the way." ”

Song Zhuzhu said: "Lord Leng should stay in the city, the three reinforcements arrived, and the people of Xiangyang were not grateful, so they all put on a look of dead people at home, and the three generals were angry, maybe they would lead the troops and leave." ”

Xu Ji went to ask for more reinforcements, but the three families were ready-made reinforcements, and it was clear which was more important and which was lighter, Leng Yifang immediately said: "I'm also confused, Mr. Xu Haihan, please see off King Song Chu on my behalf." ”

"Eh, I'm not the King of Chu now, but the General of Hujing."

"General Rauson will see me off." Leng Yifang called his entourage and hurriedly entered the city to entertain the three generals.

Xu Ji and Song Zhuzhu followed the team into the city, and gradually mixed with the soldiers and people of Xiangyang, and their ears were full of complaints that there were too few reinforcements.

Xu Ji asked, "This is also the case when General Song entered the city?" ”

"No, most of my subordinates are natives of Xiangyang, and they have many relatives and friends in the city, and when we came, they were very popular. Will those three really send reinforcements over? ”

"Yes, but no one will be the king of Chu, and your treasure seal is still with me."

Song Zhuzhu smiled in surprise: "Is it because the King of Chu has a bad reputation?" But the treasure seal is real, and on the day I started the army, my feet suddenly shook......"

"I know, they want me to go to the eastern capital to invite the two kings of Xiangdong and Jibei."

"I didn't think they were quite humble." Song Zhuzhu didn't think about it that much.

Xu Ji didn't explain, chatted all the way, and after leaving the city from the other end, he walked more than ten miles, and Song Zhuzhu stopped, "Send you a thousand miles, and I will not be far away." The three families asked you to invite the two kings, why didn't you even send a guard? ”

"I don't want it myself, it is useless to have fewer soldiers, and more soldiers will cause trouble."

"Then I wish Mr. Xu a smooth journey and success."

"I have a message to remind General Song."

The two rode out of the horse for a distance, and Song Zhuzhu's entourage stopped behind.

"Mr. Xu, please speak, I must take your reminder to heart."

"What kind of person does General Song think the cold city lord is?"

Song Zhuzhu was slightly stunned, "Leng Yifang is a ...... Good officer, when I started the army, he sent a congratulatory gift, although when my army was defeated and the food was exhausted, he refused to let me go into the city to take refuge, but he did not kill them all, I have to thank him for his kindness. ”

"How does it compare with Xi Yun, Chen Aicai, and Yang Qinzai? If there is a fight, who will win and who will lose? ”

"If you want to be more capable, Leng Yifang must be worse, not to mention anything else, he was an official in the same year as Chen Yicai, and now he is a shepherd of the two states, but he is the lord of Xiangyang."

"That's what I'm going to remind General Song."

"Huh?"

"Guarding Xiangyang or guarding the cold city lord, General Song must distinguish clearly."

Song Zhuzhu was silent, Xu Ji bowed his hand and said goodbye, called Shangchang Yanzhi, each rode a horse, each took a horse, and went to Luozhou along the road.

Song Zhuzhu turned the horse's head, returned to Xiangyang, and saw the city from afar, and hesitated in his heart.