I don't know how long it took for Yang Chen to wake up from his coma and find that he was slowly moving forward, and at the same time, his body was rhythmically rising and falling. After a while, he remembered what had happened before, he and the others fought with the Mongols in the security fort to the end, and when they were about to be killed, reinforcements arrived and saved him.

In this way, now I should be staying with the border soldiers? After having this understanding, Yang Chen finally put his mind at ease, and then he felt a dry mouth, and it seemed that fire could come out of his throat, so he muttered something in a low voice that even he couldn't hear clearly.

But just such a little movement attracted two soldiers to come to him, and after seeing that he really opened his eyes, the two of them shouted with some excitement: "Wake up, he's awake!" ”

At this greeting, several horses came running over, and a resolute-looking general came out of the crowd, stopping while asking people to stop, and said to Yang Chen: "Brother, you can be regarded as awake, you are about to faint for most of the day......"

This attitude made Yang Chen really a little confused, he didn't remember what friendship he had with this person, and even this was the first time he had seen the other party. But at this time, he couldn't open his mouth to ask, just opened his chapped lips slightly, and gently spit out the word "water".

It wasn't until he heard him say this that the general came back to his senses and slapped his head with his hand: "You are seriously injured and have shed so much blood, you really need to drink water." Bring the water! ”

Soon, a soldier brought a big water bladder and carefully brought it to Yang Chen's mouth, making him swallow the cold spring water in a big gulp. After drinking nearly half a bag of water, he felt better and could speak, so he looked at the general and said, "Dare to ask the general?" ”

"My name is Ding Yueqian, and I am a thousand generals in the Datong garrison." The other party simply reported his identity. When Yang Chen heard this, his expression was solemn, he barely supported his body, and hugged his fist at him: "It turned out to be President Ding Qian, and the lower official was rude...... You saved me, didn't you? ”

"Not bad...... Ding Yueqian nodded, then scolded something, and said rather frustratedly: "It's a pity that we went late, and finally rescued a few people, and let those Tartars who killed a thousand knives run away!" ”

After a pause, he gave Yang Chen a thumbs up in admiration: "But brother, you are really a good man, you can still support yourself in such a situation where the enemy is outnumbered." I have heard from the remaining brethren that you alone kept the Tartars in charge. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid there would be no living people in the fort, and even the old horse would have to die here! ”

As soon as he finished speaking, some of the soldiers around him also praised: "Yes, you are really amazing." By the way, where did you stay before? How come we have never heard that there are brothers in our Datong army, you are the number one person? ”

Yang Chen didn't answer their questions, now he was most concerned about the life and death of other people: "Mr. Ding Qian, how many people survived in the castle in the end?" ”

"There are nine of them, including you...... Damn, half of this is still a tartar. If you hadn't screamed before you fell, my brothers would have dealt with them all! Ding Yueqian said with some resentment: "By the way, the female Tartar was the least injured, and he also said that he ran out of the Tatars and wanted to rush to Datong to report the news, but is there such a thing?" ”

"That's true, they're friends and foes." Yang Chen nodded, and asked again, "Who survived?" What he is most concerned about now is Huang Feng's life and death, if he hadn't thrown a knife to help him regardless of his own safety, he would have died under the knife of Mengren.

"In addition to you and Lao Ma, there are two brothers in the fort, and another brother who is seriously injured, it seems that the security fort is going with you, and the other four are all Tartars." Ding Yueqian replied casually.

Hearing him say this, Yang Chen breathed a sigh of relief, it seems that Huang Feng is still alive, it is really fortunate: "Thank you ......" but I don't know if he is thanking the other party for saving himself, or thanking God for his blessing.

"By the way, I heard those two brothers say that you came from another place to close the city, but they couldn't tell for a while......" Ding Yueqian threw out this important question at this time.

Yang Chen did not hide it, and revealed his identity: "The lower official came from Guan County, and it is the history of the local county government. originally planned to go to Datong, but because he met these Mongolian people on the road, he knew that they were going to Datong with urgent military information, so he walked with them. Later, because of the Tartars chasing after him, he was desperate, so he was not allowed to transfer to Bao'an Fort, but the soldiers of this fort were almost killed and wounded......"

Hearing the meaning of self-reproach in his words, Ding Yueqian stretched out his hand and patted him on the shoulder: "Since we soldiers are guarding the edge of this Great Wall, we have long expected this day." Although the brothers guarding the fort suffered heavy casualties this time, they did not lose anything, killing twice as many Tartars, and playing the momentum of our Ming border army. And you alone can't kill more than twenty Tartars, so you don't have to feel guilty. ”

After a pause, he looked at Yang Chen with some confusion: "But there is one thing I don't understand, since you came out of Biguan County and wanted to go to Datong, why did you come out of the Great Wall and come to this grassland?" Moreover, how can you, a county official, have such a great ability to support the siege of hundreds of Tartars for so long and kill many people? ”

"This ......" Yang Chen suddenly looked embarrassed, it was not easy to explain these things clearly, and he even had to tell what happened in Biguan County together. But he didn't know the Ding Qian in front of him, so he didn't dare to tell the truth.

Ding Yueqian also saw his embarrassment, so he waved his hand freely: "Forget it, since you don't want to say it, I won't force you." Anyway, I can see that you are our own brother. ”

"Thank you!" Yang Chen nodded at the other party sincerely: "It's really because this matter is too involved, so I don't dare to tell others the truth before meeting Lord Yang Yiqing." ”

"You came to Datong to see Lord Yang?" Ding Yueqian glanced at him in some surprise, and then said, "If that's the case, I can help you deliver a sentence." But when I enter Datong, Lord Yang is willing to see you or not, I can't be sure. ”

Hearing him say this, Yang Chen's heart was even more relieved, and he thanked him again: "In this way, there will be work." ”

"It's a matter of effort, anyway, I have to go back to the city to hand over the order, and I always have to see the chief master." Ding Yueqian waved his hand.

Letting go of another matter, coupled with the fact that he felt tired after saying so many words, Yang Chen didn't say more, slowly closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep again.

This sleep is a long time. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in front of a huge, quaint, tall, well-guarded city.

Although this city looks completely integrated with the Great Wall, and there is no city name engraved on it, just looking at its strong city walls, which are seven or eight zhang high, and the scars left on the city walls by the vicissitudes of time and foreign invasions, Yang Chen has immediately guessed its name - Datong!

One of the nine important towns of the Ming Dynasty, it can be called the first border town in the world!

In the past hundred years, it has been attacked hundreds of times by the Mongolian people in the grassland, but it still stands in the northern frontier, and the Central Plains barrier Datong City is impregnable!

Although the city was silent, when Yang Chen looked up at this ancient border city from afar, there seemed to be bursts of Jin Ge Iron Horse ringing in his ears, which made his heart suddenly stir, and even the wounds on his body didn't seem to be so painful.

Just as he looked at the ancient city wall, after some negotiation with the soldiers who had rushed to the city before, the closed city gate finally opened for them with a creaking sound, revealing the wide and deep city gate hole behind the door. Yang Chen knew at a glance that the hole in this city gate was more than ten zhang deep, in other words, this city wall was also ten zhang thick, no wonder this Datong city could be called the first strong city in the border pass, and the Mongolian people could not break it by all means.

Of course, he also understands that Datong, and even the entire Great Wall guarding the Central Plains, can stand for a hundred years, not only because of the height and depth of the city here, but also because there are countless generals who are guarding these fortresses with their lives. For example, Lord Yang Yiqing, who he wanted to see, and the defenders of Baobao who fought side by side with him before and never flinched until death.

With a stirring mood, Yang Chen finally entered Datong City. However, he was not in the city he walked into, but lying on a simple stretcher and being carried into Datong City.

After passing through the long city gate hole, what you see is a rather prosperous street market, compared to the desertion of the county seat, this Datong city is much more lively. As far as the eye can see, there are all kinds of shops along the street, and there are some foreigners in leather jackets and robes who set up stalls and shout there, selling their leather goods and cattle and sheep to passers-by, and there is no hostility between the two sides at all.

Yang Chen had also seen this scene when he was in Beijing, but it was really hard to imagine that a border gate like Datong, which was close to the grassland, could actually let these foreigners sell along the streets, wouldn't the defenders here be afraid that there would be spies mixed with the Mongols, and once a foreign enemy attacked the city, it would bring danger to the defenders?

Naturally, no one can answer this question for him at this time, and perhaps only by asking the current supreme governor of Datong, Yang Yiqing, the chief of the three sides, in person, can he understand the reason. However, judging from the harmonious coexistence between the Mongolian and Han sides, and the fact that there were so many border troops coming, and those foreign merchants did not show the slightest fluster, it is obvious that everyone has become accustomed to such an environment. Even Ding Yueqian, who was scolding the Tartars outside, did not make any bad moves towards these Mongolian people in front of him at this time.

When Yang Chen was slightly surprised, everyone had already walked through the long street market, and then the two thousand border troops were taken to the barracks by their respective generals and colonels to rest, while Ding Yueqian brought dozens of personal soldiers, and Yang Chen came to a rather imposing official office after turning a street corner.

Yang Chen knew very well that this should be Yang Yiqing's place under Datong, and the other injured people obviously did not have such good treatment as him, and they had already been arranged to go to the military camp to rest first. Just thinking about it, Ding Yueqian came over again: "Brother Yang, you wait here for a while, I will go to report to Lord Yang, if he is willing to see you, I will take you in again." ”

"There's Mr. Laoding." Yang Chen hurriedly sat up and hugged the other party.

Ding Yueqian nodded at him, then stepped forward, and after checking the waist card, he was accompanied by a guard into the gate.

After a walk through the somewhat winding courtyard, he stopped in front of a signing room. At this time, Ding Qian couldn't see the fierceness on the grassland before, and he seemed quite polite, first straightened his clothes, and after confirming that there was no problem, he lowered his hand and reported inside: "The last general Ding Yue moved to hand over the order." ”

After a while, a gentle but majestic voice came from inside: "It turns out that Yue Qian has returned, come in and talk back." ”

Ding Yueqian walked into the room with a solemn expression, and first saluted a fifty-year-old man sitting behind the bookcase, dressed in a wide road uniform: "Meet the chief system." After getting the other party's permission, he straightened up.

Yang Yiqing sat there with a smile on his face, but when he glanced at Ding Yueqian's face with a pair of eyes, it still made the fierce general who was not afraid on the battlefield tremble, and he didn't dare to look at him.

After glancing at him a few times, Yang Yiqing said, "You were ordered to go out of the city early yesterday morning to break the enemy. Logically speaking, it should be back after dark. Why did you delay coming back until noon today? But did something go wrong? ”

"Lord Hui, because last night I suddenly saw a beacon fire in the direction of Baoan Fort, in order to save the military situation there, the last general did not rush back to Datong, but rushed over directly."

"So, you took it upon yourself to save the siege of Fort Security?" Yang Yiqing looked at him with a smile and asked.

Although these words were not serious, they still frightened Ding Yueqian's face into a few cold sweats. After snorting for a while, he spoke: "The military situation is urgent, and the last general has to make an assertion without permission, and I hope that the lord will forgive the sin!" As he spoke, he wanted to kneel.

"That's it." Unexpectedly, Yang Yiqing's expression was softened, and he waved his hand and said, "Look at your appearance, this time you have won?" How's it going, is Fort Security okay? ”

"The last general was ashamed, he was still a little late, and only one hundred and ten Tartars were annihilated, and the defenders in the fort were almost completely wiped out, and even the commander Ma Qianyuan was almost killed by the enemy. If it weren't for the desperate resistance of some people in the fort, I'm afraid that even these eight or nine people would not be able to save them. Ding Yueqian told the story of last night in detail, and he didn't dare to omit anything.

Yang Yiqing just listened quietly, and when he finished speaking, he asked: "So, it was Yang Chen of Biguan County, who suddenly rushed to Baoan Fort, who led people to fight to the death, that lasted until your reinforcements arrived?" ”

"Positive...... Exactly. ”

"What about the others?"

Seeing that Yang Yiqing seemed to be a little interested in Yang Chen, Ding Yueqian hurriedly followed: "Then Yang Chen said that he had something important to ask to see the adult, so the last general had already brought him to the yamen. Can you meet him? ”

"Yang Chen? See you don't have to. Someone-" Yang Yiqing's face suddenly sank, and he shouted to the outside world, and two guards walked to the door to listen to the order.

"You guys go out and take down the little official from Biguan County named Yang Chen who is waiting outside, and put him in prison and guard it!" Immediately, Yang Yiqing issued such an order that surprised Ding Yueqian!