The clouds on the horizon, against the backdrop of the setting sun, are like red blood. As the last rays of the earth disappeared, the earth finally ushered in peace. Several Zhao soldiers leaned against the city gate, looking into the distance. During the day, they repelled several attacks by the Yan people. However, the tranquility of the night is also the most frightening, especially in times of war, when every moment has the breath of death.

The patrol chief was twenty-seven or eighteen years old, and his appearance was rough, and he always made the first impression that this person was difficult to get along with. On behalf of the general, the patrol commander comforted the soldiers of the Zhao army, stood on the city, looked at the black and oppressive Yan army, and sighed: "I don't know when this war will end. ”

One of them, after seeing the patrol commander sigh to the sky, left. The man, looking at the flickering lights in the city, complained: "I really envy the people and merchants, in the event of war, not only can they choose to flee, but they can also live comfortably in the city." The heavy responsibility of defending the family and the country is thrown to us. No matter what we are soldiers with, there is no choice. ”

"Isn't it?" The other person moved around, leaned over, and said, "They all say that we are glorious and majestic as soldiers." Once there is a war, it is not the first time we rush to the front. ”

"Brother, blame us for our miserable lives." The man before, understanding his feelings, breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "Who called us children of poor families, if we were born in the family of the eunuchs, we would not have to stay in this bitter cold place. If I have the chance, I must go to Handan to have a look. It is reported that the beauties within 500 miles of Handan are like clouds, and all of them are fairy-like characters. ”

"yes!" Another person, drooling from the corners of his mouth, said: "Handan not only produces beautiful women, but Zhao wine is famous all over the world." In Handan, there is good wine and meat every day, and there are beauties every night, such a life is happy. ”

The man before sang: "Wine and beauty are in your arms, even if it is one day, this life is enough." ”

"Yes, yes, yes, so that you can walk in the world in vain." The people should be in peace.

One of them said in a low voice: "You speak carefully, if the general hears it, you will not be beaten up." ”

"What if you hear it, we shed blood and sacrificed for Zhao Guo, so we can't say some happy words for entertainment." The man from before glanced at the man hiding in the corner and asked, "Brother, are you married?" ”

The man was a little shy, shook his head, and said, "Not yet." ”

"Alas, pitiful!" The man sneered at everyone, "You haven't even tried the taste of beauty, let's talk about it, this brother is pitiful." ”

When the people heard this, they got up and laughed.

Seeing that he was silent, the man asked solemnly, "Hey, are you afraid of death?" ”

The latter person, with a confused look, asked, "Are you afraid of death?" ”

"Afraid? Why not be afraid? As soon as I tasted the joy of life, I was going to die, which was really unwilling. The man lifted his spirits, faced the people, and said, "If we live, everyone will say that we will introduce this brother to a beautiful woman and let him taste the joy of life." ”

"Okay." The crowd laughed again.

The man, boldly, stepped out of the corner. Under the faint light of the fire, the person who came looked delicate, a young man with a crown. It's no wonder that he didn't taste the joy of life, and he couldn't understand why this group of people laughed at him, it turned out that it was because he was still young and couldn't understand the romantic words.

"I—" The young man's eyes contained tears, and the next sentence choked in the middle of his throat, and he couldn't say anything. The young man rested for a moment and whispered, "Will the Yan Kingdom break through the city?" ”

The previous man looked at his comrades-in-arms around him, looked at the place where the Yan army was camped outside the city, and said, "Within ten days, the Yan Kingdom will not be able to be attacked. Ten days later, things were not good. ”

"Yan Guo is coming, Zhao Jun, just sit idly by?" One person said indignantly: "Could it be that Zhao Jun wants to resist the Yan Kingdom with the strength of a county." ”

One person said with contempt on his face: "Zhao Jun lives in Handan, and the beauties are with him, so he won't care about our life and death." ”

"Nonsense, Zhao Jun is a famous king, and he will not ignore our life and death. Zhao Jun is a person with blood and bones. The boy pleaded loudly for his king.

"Bone and blood? Zhao Jun's cowardice was known early as the princes. The man's face was full of grief and indignation, he stepped forward, and said in a low voice: "The first monarch just went, and the Wei State invited the vassal states to come together, and Zhao Jun kept silent and let the princes bully." ”

"I'm really unwilling! The country of Zhao is the country of ten thousand times. Although the strength is not as good as Qi and Wei, it is not weaker than Yan Guo. When the Yan Kingdom invaded, we could only retreat into the city, not daring to go out of the city to meet the attack. In the face of Yan Guo's provocation, he could only swallow his anger. ”

"Yan Guo's move, we ordinary people find it unbearable, I really don't know what those who are in high positions think about a day."

"In addition to the corpse vegetarian meal, I just want beauty, money, and power."

"Brothers, it is said that the king is planning to give up Daijun."

When everyone heard this, they exclaimed, "No! Who do you listen to? ”

"I heard from someone from Handan. The message is absolutely reliable. The man, who gathered everyone together, said in a low voice: "Daijun is far away from Handan, and the transportation is inconvenient. The king intends to hand over Daijun to the Yan Kingdom in order to achieve peace. Brothers, your lord doesn't want us anymore, what do you say? Do we still have to work for Zhao Jun, or do we have to stick to this city. ”

"Zhao Jun doesn't want us anymore, we're still a fart. Otherwise, we will lay down our arms and surrender to the Yan army. ”

"Yes, yes. The king is unkind, and he blames us for being unjust. ”

In the darkness, a pair of eyes watched them. When he heard that the soldiers were resentful of Zhao Jun, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he turned around and disappeared into the night. General Heijo, age thirty-three. This person is burly, with a biased appearance, and is not angry and arrogant. In the face of the Yanren Bairi's attack, he is gathering his troops to discuss how to defend tomorrow.

The patrol officer pushed the door in and said, "General Zhao Xi, the Yan people are coming, we won't do anything but defend the city." ”

One person drank: "Bold Niu Qian, you dare to speak to the general like this, come, take him down, and beat him with fifty sticks." ”

The two soldiers entered the hall and walked in front of Niu Qian, just about to carry out the general's order. Niu Jian panted like a cow, waved his big hand, and shouted: "Let go, I'll go by myself." ”

"Wait." Zhao Xi's face softened, waved his hand, and said, "Niu Qian, what do you have to say." ”

"General Zhao, in the land of Daijun, there are 100,000 people. The Yan people are coming, why don't we resolutely fight back? ”

One person shouted: "This is the general's order, Er is a small patrol general, dare to be so presumptuous." ”

Zhao Xi stopped the angry general, turned around and looked into Niu Qian's eyes, and said indifferently: "Niu Qian, if you have any dissatisfaction, you can say it." ”

"General, husband, should die in battle and serve the country. How can you shrink into the city and stay on your feet? Niu Jian was furious and said: "The Yan people provoked us, we ignored it and let the Yan people humiliate it." I'm a nine-foot man, and I can't swallow that. ”

After hearing this, Zhao Xi smiled slightly and asked calmly, "Are you finished?" ”

Niu Jian said angrily: "General Zhao Xi, what do you mean by this." ”

Zhao Xi, sitting on the wooden chair, twisted his neck, and said, "If you have any dissatisfaction, you can speak freely." ”

Niu Jian had a belly of fire in his heart, and he just needed to vent. He didn't care if his words and actions would offend everyone in the room. Half an hour later, Zhao Xi calmly asked again, "Are you happy?" ”

"The words of the last general have contradicted the general, please add another fifty military sticks." Niu Jian snorted coldly, turned his head around, he said what he had to say, and with fifty military sticks, he would not have the slightest complaint. Zhao Xi got up, walked to his side step by step, and said, "In your eyes, am I just a person who can't tolerate the 'presumptuous' of the generals?" ”

Niu Jian didn't know what the general meant, and looked at him blankly.

Zhao Xi patted Niu Qian's broad and heavy shoulders, and his eyes scanned the generals in the field. These people don't say it, but Zhao Xi knows what they think in their hearts. Since Niu Jian said his thoughts in front of everyone. Zhao Xi, who didn't want to pretend not to hear, asked: "In the face of the Yan Kingdom's attack, General Ben ordered that he was not allowed to go out of the city to fight. Ladies and gentlemen, do you think that General Ben has a cowardly temperament? ”

Everyone had a calm face and did not dare to look at them.

Zhao Xi got the answer in silence. He did not explain his 'cowardice', nor did he utter any arrogant words to fiercely anger you. Zhao Xi smiled indifferently and said, "Generals, have you ever thought about it. We started a war with the Yan people, and Pingcheng was lost, what will happen to Daijun. ”

Niu Jian said: "General, how can you keep him angry and destroy the prestige of your own people." Before the war began, he said that he was defeated, and it was not for the sake of the generals. ”

"A soldier says that if you forget to fight, you will be in danger, and if you are warlike, you will die." Zhao Xi, his eyes were blazing, and he swept towards everyone's faces, "Why am I unwilling to pour the troops of the whole city to resist the Yan army." However, there are 50,000 Yan people, and the defenders of Pingcheng are less than 10,000. What happens after the blood is exhausted? ”

One person said: "Good man, he should die on the battlefield, and the horse leather shroud." ”

"Yes, exactly. A good boy deserves to die on the battlefield. ”

"Please, the general ordered, I am willing to take the lead, so that the Yan people know the character of my Zhao people."

"Please, general, give the order to fight."

"Okay, good, you deserve to be a good boy of my Da Zhao." Zhao Xi gave a warm applause with both hands, "Although there are 100,000 people in Daijun. However, in the land of Daijun, there are Zhongshan in the east, Yan in the north, and Hu people in the west. To resist the Yan Kingdom, we rely on the only remaining troops in our hands. If one is victorious, it can deter its neighbors. If defeated, the land will be in danger, and the Zhao country will be in danger. Generals, are you willing to fight? ”

When the generals heard this, they calmed down and pondered the deep meaning of General Zhao Xi's words. If Pingcheng is lost, Daijun and Zhao will set off a storm and waves. Zhao Xi saw that everyone was not threatening to fight, and finally calmed down their dissatisfaction. Zhao Xi also knew that the emotions that permeated the hearts of the generals would one day burst like a mountain flood. Recently, rumors have spread in Pingcheng that Zhao Jun will cede the land to protect the peace of Zhao State. The generals were easily appeased, and the soldiers and civilians were emotional. If you are not careful, the internal crisis is far greater than the invasion of foreign enemies.

Zhao Xi saw that the situation was urgent, so he handed over the work of defending the city to Zhao Zhuang, the deputy general who was a serious person, and led the team back to Daicheng. Daicheng is the stronghold of Zhao Guo's northward journey. Because of its location, it is very important. The ancestors of Zhao in the past dynasties repaired and strengthened the Daidi, and the Daicheng was like a copper wall. The person who sits in Daicheng is Zhao Gu of the internal history. When someone came to him, he said that Zhao Xi was going to meet him late at night.

Zhao Gu saw Zhao Xi, cut off the red tape, and asked directly: "Pingcheng, is it lost?" ”

Zhao Xi was stunned for a moment, and Fang said, "Pingcheng is still in our hands." ”

"It's good that it's still there." When Zhao Gu heard this, his heart was at ease, "General Zhao Xi rushed back to see me late at night, it won't be to chat with me!" ”

"Please." Zhao Xi reported the military affairs of Pingcheng and the emotions of his generals one by one. After Zhao Gu heard this, he didn't think this was good news, and said a little distressed: "It's really hard for you, you have to deal with foreign enemies, and you have to appease the emotions that will eventually be dissatisfied." ”

"I don't dare to say anything about it." Zhao Xi paused, and said with a straight face: "Yan Guo is coming, what does the king mean." ”

Zhao Gu took out an order from Handan and handed it to him.

"Hold on and don't strike." Zhao Xi, his lips closed one by one, and his voice trembled, "Your Majesty, you really want to give up the territory of Northern Xinjiang." ”

Zhao Gu didn't know how to answer. Zhao Jun is a troublesome and unpredictable person. In the face of the invasion of the six kingdoms, all the ministers said that the princes should be treated with gentleness. And Zhao Junli overrode public opinion, but he had the determination to declare war with him. However, in the face of the provocation of Yan Guo, he lacked that courage and courage.

When Yan Guo came to attack, Zhao Gu reported the battle situation to Handan as soon as possible. Zhao Gu stabilized the city defense, dispatched troops, and only waited for the order to meet Handan, but what he waited for was to hold on and not to attack, remember.

Zhao Gu, angry in his heart, pulled out his long sword and cut off the desk to vent the grievances in his heart.

Someone asked him if the king chose to give up Daijun. He, what will he do.

Zhao Gu replied that he would die for Zhao Guo.

Some say, is it worth it?

Zhao Gu smiled slightly, he didn't care if it was worth it, what he thought of was to die for the country.

Zhao Xi said, "What should we do?" ”

"Wait."

"What are you waiting for?"

Zhao Gu said, "Reinforcements." ”

Zhao Xi questioned: "Will the king send reinforcements to support Daijun?" ”

"There will be reinforcements." Zhao Gu's eyes were complicated, "Your Excellency, you won't sit idly by." He will lead Zhao Guo up a new ladder. ”

Zhao Xi had reservations about Zhao Gu's words. He didn't expect the king to lead the Zhao family into a new ladder, he just begged the Zhao family not to be buried in his hands, that was the luckiest. Suddenly, a man rushed in and interrupted the conversation between them.

The person who came said, "My lord, Handan Gongzi is here." ”

"Ask him to come in."

The man, Zhi Wu, said, "He was blocked out of the city. ”

"Zhao Xi, come with me to greet you." Zhao Gu left the Dai Palace, and rushed to the city gate. The soldiers upstairs saw that it was Zhao Gu, the county guard, and hurriedly opened the city gate. Zhao Gu walked out of the city gate, faced a person outside the city, and arched his hand: "I don't know that the son has arrived, and I can't meet him from afar, don't blame." ”

Zhao Xie said with a calm face: "You can really do it, Daicheng only knows you, but he doesn't know me, let alone the king." ”

"Childe, stop your anger." One person said respectfully: "This is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding." ”

Zhao Xie looked around at everyone, "This is what I saw with my own eyes, how can it be a misunderstanding." ”

Zhao Xie's words made everyone choke. For a while, they didn't know what words to use to answer. Everyone was afraid, this person returned to Handan, added fuel and vinegar to Zhao Jun and said a few bad words to Zhao Jun. Not only Zhao Gu, but also their political careers have come to an end.

Zhao Gu's face did not change, he was simple and rude, went up and punched him hard, and said coldly: "I said you, I haven't seen you for many years, you can't be friendly." You don't have to make everyone nervous before you're happy. "By the way, you're not staying in Handan, what are you doing here?"

"My friend is in trouble, why don't I come to help. Look, I've brought you 10,000 soldiers and horses. You're good, not only didn't thank me for your kindness, but you actually punched me. ”

"Your Majesty has decided to start a war with the Yan Kingdom."

Zhao Xie nodded and said, "Not only am I here, but the king is also here in person." ”

Zhao Gu was shocked: "What are you talking about, your lordship, you are also here." ”