Zhang Xun had a nightmare, he couldn't remember what he dreamed of, but when he woke up, he was out of breath and frightened.

The light rain outside the camp tent was dripping non-stop, and the Wu army had been stationed in the muddy ridges for several days, and fifty miles southwest of the garrison, the banner of the Chu army was also swaying in the wind in the rain, and between the two armies, Wanqiu City was soaked in stagnant water, and it was already precarious.

Zhang Xun found Gong Wanran, looked at the endless drizzle outside the tent, and said, "I don't know how Xiao Ji's marriage is prepared." ”

Gong Wanran lowered his head and looked melancholy, but he did not answer.

Zhang Xun stretched out his hand out of the tent, pointed to Wanqiu City and said, "Today is the day to negotiate with King Chen, for some reason, I am always a little nervous. ”

"Nervous?"

"It's not that I'm nervous, I don't know, I can't tell why, I always feel that looking at this city, my heart will be inexplicably uncomfortable and uncomfortable."

"Are you worried that King Chen has an ambush?"

"No, hey, I can't tell."

"Don't worry, it's going to be fine."

Gong Wanran walked to Zhang Xun's side, helped Zhang Xun tidy up his clothes, and said: "You must remember for a while, now that the situation has changed, and now the Chu army has changed its strategy, they no longer plan to rescue Chen Guo, but want to destroy Chen Guo and take Chen Guo as their own, so our identity has also changed a little." When you meet King Chen later, you still have to improvise. ”

"Well, I know. Don't worry, I know it. ”

"Okay."

Zhang Xun led a team of soldiers and horses to slowly pass through Wanqiu City, looking at the stagnant water all over the city and the hungry people everywhere, Zhang Xun felt very uncomfortable.

Before coming to the palace, Zhang Xun immediately looked around, and it was still the same as last year, dilapidated. The dilapidated palace gate was loosely hung on the wall, and it was obvious that Chen Guo did not even have the financial resources to replace the palace gate. The red paint on the palace gate has long been peeled off, and it is soaked in rainwater at this time, and it looks rotten. Last year's battles still seem to be echoing in my ears, but those dead soldiers have disappeared into the haze of rain and fog like a passing cloud.

Zhang Xun came to the high platform and slowly walked into the main hall, at this time, King Chen was already waiting for him on the throne.

Zhang Xun saluted and said, "Wu envoy Zhang Xun, meet King Chen." ”

"General Zhang, don't come unharmed, it's been a year since I said goodbye last time." King Chen had a kind face and a smile on his face.

"yes, it's been a year."

"Hehe, the last time General Zhang led the army here, it was because King Wu said that I don't respect the Son of Heaven, I don't know what taboo I committed this time?"

"That's wrong, I'm not here to attack Chen, but to save Chen!"

"Haha, what a rescue Chen, yes, Chen Guo is now in natural and man-made disasters, and the country is in danger, and he really needs help, but isn't this natural and man-made disaster just because of King Wu?"

"How is it by my king? My king has always hoped to reconcile with Chen Guo, so why do you want to do it? Speaking of which, last year's battle was not what my king wanted, but the king of Chu provoked it, and the Son of Heaven was bewitched by the king of Chu, and then he made trouble and ordered my king to attack the state of Chen. Afterwards, my king also regretted it very much, so he sent merchants to Chen Guo to collect grass, hoping to return all the compensation paid by Chen Guo to Chen Guo in this way. ”

"Haha, General Zhang is really clever and eloquent, these three words can reverse black and white, confuse right and wrong, amazing, amazing."

"King Chen didn't know, before I came, the ministers had many objections, and they all thought that King Chen would not accept our help, but I tried my best to assure my king that King Chen is kind-hearted and broad-minded, and he is by no means a short-sighted person, so he naturally knows what the current situation is, and he knows what the intentions of Chu are! Wu is located in the border, in the end will not have anything to do with the Central Plains powers, Gusu City is far away from Wanqiu City, but the Central Plains in the north of Chu State, the heart of hegemony has never been extinguished, if Chu State intervenes, to put it lightly, Chen State will become the dog tooth of Chu State, and to put it seriously, Chen State may become a border town of Chu State to dominate the Central Plains! ”

At this time, Taishi Jugu on the side pointed at Zhang Xun and scolded: "Zhang Xun! You are so bold to speak so outrageously! ”

"Juya-sama, am I not right?! For 500 years, the Chen Kingdom has risen and fallen several times, and 70 years ago, it was even more shameful to lose the country! Now that you have returned to the country, have you forgotten? It was not the State of Chu that destroyed the State of Chen and annexed the land of the State of Chen, but who was it! ”

"You!" Jugu pointed at Zhang Xun angrily, but was speechless.

"Enough!" King Chen tapped the ground with his cane, looked at Zhang Xun and asked, "What does King Wu want?" ”

Zhang Xun saluted to King Chen and said: "My king has no intention of destroying Chen, let alone connecting Chu, King Chen must know that between Wu and Chu, water and fire have always been incompatible!" Since ancient times, the strong and insatiable are our common enemies. Now, my king only wants Chen to be rich and strong, and then to balance the Chu state. My king asks for nothing else! Now that the army of Chu is coming, it has already come to the city, if King Chen does not accept our help, I am afraid that he will not be able to return to the sky! ”

"Okay, then in that case, why don't you talk about how to save Chen?"

"King Chen only needs to sign an alliance with my Great Wu, and order the defenders in the city to cooperate with the deployment of our army, and the two armies will unite and fight Chu together, and then force the Chu army to retreat! In the future, Chen and Wu will support each other and seek common causes! ”

Hearing this, Jugu hurriedly said, "King! Wu Guoren has never had credit, and what Zhang Xun said is nonsense! We can't trust the people of Wu no matter what! Don't forget, the king, Xiao Shi is a native of Wu, and he kept saying that he wanted to go to Chu for help, but in exchange for the army of Chu to press the border. And now, he Xiao Shi has disappeared without a trace! God knows what the hell Xiao Shi is doing behind his back! ”

"Oh? Xiao Shi is missing? Zhang Xun asked with some curiosity.

Jugu scolded angrily: "Hmph! That ungrateful thing! If it weren't for the king's appreciation of him, he would still be a wandering doctor! Now that the king is in trouble and Chen Guo is in danger, he pretended to save the country, but in fact he betrayed the country, not only did he not move to rescue the soldiers, but instead summoned the army to destroy the country! But what about others! I'm afraid that he has long been bought by the State of Chu and used as a lackey for the King of Chu! ”

After hearing this, Zhang Xun also felt that Xiao Shi was really hateful, such a disloyal and unrighteous person was indeed spurned, but now was not the time to talk about Xiao Xun, so Zhang Xun turned to King Chen and asked, "King Chen, the messenger of Chu State should have been here before me, right?" I wonder what the state of Chu means? ”

King Chen nodded and said: "The Chu envoy came to persuade me to surrender and asked me to be the lord of Chen County, hehe, I have killed the Chu envoy, the Chen State can perish, but it will never surrender again!" ”

"Good! Since King Chen has this determination, then the Kingdom of Chen will definitely not perish! ”

After a long time, King Chen said: "General Zhang, I know King Wu's thoughts very well, and I am also very clear about the current situation, last year I had no choice but to surrender, and this year I have no choice, so this time I will never surrender." I will sign the covenant according to your wishes, and the defenders in the city will also cooperate with the deployment of the Wu army, I only hope that the king of Wu can abide by the covenant, and I also promise that I will do my best to help when Wu and Qi compete for hegemony. ”

Zhang Xun looked at King Chen, his cloudy eyes projected clear reason, the helplessness of fate was written on the dense wrinkles, the vicissitudes of five hundred years of history and the joys, sorrows and sorrows of tens of thousands of people were all weighed on that crutch, when dignity and life could not be both, the country and the people could not be taken into account, but how to choose?

Thinking of this, the uncomfortable feeling before was even more obvious, and Zhang Xun, who was disturbed by the suppressed and chaotic thoughts, was out of breath, and he felt that his thoughts were touching a boundary that he had never been to before.

Life.

Dignity.

Country.

Commoners.

War.

Peace.

World.

Person.

"General Zhang?"

Chen Wang's voice pulled Zhang Xun back to reality from an illusion, and at this time, Zhang Xun stood in place, looking at Chen Wang in a bit of confusion. No one knew that this moment of time seemed to Zhang Xun to pass thousands of years, Zhang Xun's chest was unbearable, his headache was splitting, he was extremely depressed in his heart, and he just wanted to get out of here quickly.

Subsequently, Chen concluded an alliance with Wu, and the two armies of Chen and Wu were jointly deployed to force the Chu army outside the city with a corner of the horn. The Chu army fell into passivity and soon retreated on its own.

Zhang Xun and Gong Wanran distributed linen cloth and food to the refugees of Chen Guo, and the disaster situation of Chen Guo was alleviated. In addition, Zhang Xun formulated a flood control project plan according to the hydrological situation of Chen Guo. I believe that the hard-working people of Chen Guo can get relief from the disaster as soon as possible.

A month later, Chen Guo's affairs were dealt with, and Gong Wanran and Zhang Xun led the army back to Gusu. However, Zhang Xun didn't know that a bad news was waiting for him.