As the years passed, there were more than a dozen families in the valley, and it became a small village, with chickens, ducks, geese and dogs swaggering on the road, followed by a few children walking crookedly.

The old servant was too old to straighten his waist, and still refused to be idle, guarding the crops on crutches, driving away the passing poultry, and when he saw the children coming, he smiled and took out the snacks, distributed them one by one, and then yelled: "Where are the people? ”

"Here it is!" Several of the women replied from afar, standing in the shade of the tree, and not caring much about the child.

The old servant let go of the poultry that had gone to forage for food, and sent the children back, "There are wolves in the grass, and they eat the arms and legs of the children, one bite at a ......time."

The children were frightened by the old servant's tone and ran to their mothers, but the old servant couldn't keep up, so he could only persuade: "Slow down, slow down......"

The women laughed and picked up their children, and went on chatting, and the old servant breathed a sigh of relief, and looked back to see that the crops were in good shape, and that the flock of fowl had gone far away, except for two dogs writhing in the grass, so he went into the village, and went to check the courtyards of each house, and if there was any mess, he stood outside the door and called out to the master to count a few words.

When approaching the study, the old servant held his breath, tiptoed to the door, peeked inside, the only student in the valley Ma Shi was reading, he was already seven or eight years old, sitting upright, holding the book with both hands, reading in a low tone, the old servant nodded with satisfaction, but he didn't see the son, which made him a little surprised.

The old servant bypassed the study, walked not far, and sure enough, he saw Gongzi standing there in a daze.

Xu Ji is in short clothes and trousers, not at all like a teacher, but he also doesn't look like a farmer who works, but more like a rich man's servant.

The old servant stepped forward and said, "What is the son looking at?" ”

Xu Ji smiled: "Look at that mountain." ”

"This mountain is there every day."

"The old man's words are quite mysterious."

"Childe is kidding me again, I mean what's there to see about this mountain?"

"Dozens of miles behind the mountain is Yecheng."

"Childe wants to go into the city?"

Xu Ji shook his head, "I'm wondering, who is the master of the city now?" ”

"Anyway, it's not the big county lord, and after a few years of work, more than a dozen groups of people have been replaced."

"Not so much, just five dials." Xu Ji said with a smile.

"That's a lot, anyway, Childe always has a way to let them not come to harass Siguogu, I'm not worried, there is another thing I have to urge Childe."

"Huh?"

"Childe has been married for a few years, why aren't you in a hurry?"

"Kids? This kind of thing can't be rushed. ”

"What about the little county master? Did you run out to play again? Childe has to take care of it, she's not a child, she should ......"

"What should it be?" Someone in the back asked.

The old servant's face was not red and his heart was not beating, and he continued: "You should take care of more things, so many people live in the valley, you have to be a small county lord to preside over the overall situation." After that, he turned around slowly and nodded slightly, "The little county lord is back." ”

Zhang Shiqing smiled: "I didn't go far, won't I come back?" ”

"It's good to come back, it's not safe outside, stay in the valley to feel at ease......" The old servant nagged and walked away.

Zhang Shiqing looked at the figure of the old servant and walked around the study, and asked with a smile: "He is urging you again?" ”

"Well, as soon as he spoke, you rescued me." Xu Ji said with a smile.

The smile on Zhang Shiqing's face disappeared, "The news just sent, the war is spreading to this side, it's hard to say who wins and who loses, if there is a defeated army coming, you can't stop it." ”

"It's been five years."

"So long?"

Xu Ji nodded.

"Since Huan Yan left Yecheng, this area has become more and more chaotic, and it is difficult to be alone in Siguogu, have you ever thought about ......?"

"If necessary, you take the others to Yuyang ......"

Zhang Shiqing sneered: "Now you still say such things? Who will leave? Me? ”

Xu Ji smiled: "I said the wrong thing, let's all stay, Yuyang is not a safe place, and the county lord of Huanyan may have to withdraw to Liaodong." ”

"Really? Looking at the letter she wrote, it seems that she is going to make a comeback. ”

Xu Ji shook his head, "The situation in the world is becoming more and more obvious, if the county lord of Huanyan still can't see through it, he will be called a masterpiece in vain." ”

"She's going to bluff us too?"

"Maybe she hasn't made up her mind yet."

Zhang Shiqing was speechless, and said after a long time: "It is a good thing for Huan Yan to really give up his ambition and retreat to Liaodong, he is always stronger than my father, and he has to borrow troops to avenge my brother, but he ...... but died in the state. ”

Zhang Shiqing threw away the grief in his heart, "There are twenty-four victorious soldiers in the valley, I will take twenty people to guard the valley mouth, and leave four people to guard the mountain path behind me, and the affairs of the family are ......."

"I'll keep an eye on it."

"Well, I hope there won't be any defeated soldiers passing by here...... Zhang Shiqing glanced left and right, suddenly approached, kissed Xu Ji on the face, and left with a smile, his pace was brisk, still the same as back then.

For a few days, there was nothing to do inside and outside the valley, and the big battle around Yecheng had not been extended, but Zhang Shiqing did not dare to be careless, and used weeds and dead branches to hide the path into the valley, and sent people out to investigate the situation.

The atmosphere in the valley is also becoming more and more tense, and after nightfall there are no lights, and the fire has to be burned to a hidden place, so that the smoke does not reveal traces, and the children are reminded not to cry loudly......

On this day, the outsiders brought back the news that the battle around Yecheng seemed to be coming to an end, but I didn't know who won and who lost, and after nightfall, Zhang Shiqing was still hiding in a small grove at the mouth of the valley, monitoring the official road outside.

Around the second watch, Xu Ji hurried over, walked to his wife's side, and whispered in his ear: "How?" ”

"Don't bother me." Zhang Shiqing grabbed her husband's hand and dragged him to sit on the grass together, "An hour ago, a team of defeated soldiers ran over and didn't find here." ”

The two sat side by side, talking in a whisper, and a few snickerers came from not far away, Zhang Shiqing coughed sternly, and the laughter disappeared immediately.

The bright moon set in the west, and the sound of horses' hooves was heard in the distance, everyone closed their mouths and looked vigilantly at the official road dozens of steps away, the night was too deep, and only a dark shadow could be seen.

It didn't take long for a group of men and horses to gallop by, and the people of Taniguchi breathed a sigh of relief, but before they could really relax, the group turned back and stopped in the valley without mistake.

There was a humane in the team: "It seems to be here, it should be deserted, and you can take refuge for a while." ”

Zhang Shiqing clenched the handle of the knife.

The path into the valley was full of weeds and thorns, and the people outside could not distinguish the real from the false in the dark, thinking that it was all grown, and after walking a few steps, someone said: "Is it a mistake?" There doesn't seem to be a road here. ”

"Don't care about the road, help Your Majesty over first......"

Xu Ji and Zhang Shiqing glanced at each other, and they didn't know which "Your Majesty" was.

One person stood on the side of the road and said sharply: "I don't need help, let's not run away or hide, just wait here for the pursuers, and have a good fight!" ”

"Your Majesty......"

"The cowardly leave on their own, don't stay with me."

There was no one walking, there were more than fifty people in all, most of them riding across the road, each holding a lance, and five or six others stood on the side of the road, surrounding "Your Majesty", who was obviously seriously wounded, and the sound of heavy wheezing could reach the ears of the hidden.

"Where's the advisor?"

"Your Majesty, I'm here." A tall figure circled in front of "Your Majesty".

"You see that I only have dozens of soldiers left, but I can still win the world?"

"Your Majesty didn't notice it for a while, suffered a small setback, returned to the dynasty to regroup, and got a million soldiers, how can you say that there are only dozens of soldiers left?"

"Haha, that's a good point, it's not the first time I've lost a battle."

"Please Your Majesty try your best to get on the horse, since you can't hide here, it's not appropriate to stay for a long time."

"Your Majesty" didn't move, "Is this really a valley of thought?" ”

"It looks a bit like that, but ...... I'm not sure either. ”

"You and Xu Ji were discussing here at the beginning?"

"Yes." The military advisor replied a little reluctantly.

Xu Ji and Zhang Shiqing glanced at each other again, he had already guessed who the people outside were, and he was still a little surprised to hear his name being mentioned.

Ning Baoguan called the emperor three years ago, the country name was Wu, once had the opportunity to pacify the world, but was betrayed by the heroes, so the south and the north to fight, sometimes won and sometimes lost, but in Yecheng defeated, there were only dozens of soldiers left.

"He's still better than the military advisor." Ning hugged the pass.

The military advisor Kou Daogu did not squeak.

"Xu Ji is not a god, often make mistakes, but when he is right, there will be miraculous results, I think at the beginning, I just listened to his advice, only to build the first Wu army, and came to Jiangdong. There are many good ideas for military advisors, but none of them can be compared. ”

"Xu Ji is good at using tricks, his heart is not right, and his skills are not right, so he died early in the chaos of the army, and he suffered by himself, why does Your Majesty miss this person?"

Zhang Shiqing was furious when she heard this, and stepped forward to go out, but was tightly pulled by Xu Ji, and it took her a while to calm down.

"I don't miss this person, I think ...... I don't see where the mistake is, and you can't see it......"

Kou Daogu's voice was a little stern, "Your Majesty will soon be able to make a comeback, how can it be 'a failure'?" Please get on your majesty and go to the sea, and from there return to the south by boat, and the people of Huai and Wu will surely come out to greet you. ”

"No matter what Wuzhou, the Huai people will welcome me?"

"The Sheng family is incompetent, and the Huai people have suffered for a long time, but fortunately, Your Majesty saved all the people from fire and water, and they miss Your Majesty like children miss their parents."

"Hehe, Strategist...... Really good at talking. Ning Baoguan walked to the mount, but he didn't get up after two attempts.

Kou Daogu stepped forward, "I'll help Your Majesty." ”

"I'm the emperor right away, so I don't need support." Ning Baoguan refused to accept help, turned over on his horse, looked at his guards, and said with a long smile: "Okay, there are more people left than when I was at my worst, but unfortunately, my companions back then are no longer ......"

Ning Baoguan's body shook and fell from the horse, and everyone was shocked, but at this moment, there was the sound of horses' hooves in the distance, obviously the pursuers caught up.

Ning Baoguan pushed away the supporters, got up and said: "The best strategy is to attack the defenders, and the sons and I will repel this chasing force together, and then leave...... It's never too late to go...... Ah......h

Ning Baoguan screamed, and slowly sat on the ground, motionless.

Kou Daogu said in a loud voice: "I can't bear to see Your Majesty humiliated, so help him ascend to heaven, if you want to be loyal, go to meet the pursuers, if you don't have this intention, you can flee, Emperor Wu's dragon body is here, no one will chase you." ”

The guards hesitated for a moment, at this time, if someone moved, they would split Kou Daogu's blade, but the sound of horses' hooves became more and more urgent, and the first person to react was not to kill Kou Daogu, but to turn around and run away, and the others followed, leaving less than ten people left, but not for revenge.

"The emperor is dead, his head can be rewarded...... one of the remaining ones jumped off his horse, threw away his lance, drew his sword, and the others did the same.

Kou Daogu didn't dare to stop him, so he stepped aside and waited for the pursuers, and behind him, the soldiers were disassembling the "dragon body".