Lao Wu raised his head, but he was meeting Lao Yang's crying and laughing face. Immediately put down the work of sharpening the knife in his hand, and then stood up, and hit Lao Yang's shoulder with a light punch: "I also said that it was the old lady in the family, it turned out to be you, Lao Yang!" ”

Lao Yang had a solemn face, pulled Lao Wu to sit on the stone on the side, and then asked solemnly and in a low voice: "Lao Wu, for so many years, our brothers went east with Song Duhu to the country, and it has long been a fateful friendship, right?" You give your brother a secret, do you also have to go to the county to apply? ”

Old Wu Gang wanted to shake his head and deny it, but he was meeting the gaze of his brothers who were born and died together. He pondered for a moment, and finally did not want to lie again, but nodded solemnly.

After confirming the news, Lao Yang finally sat down to the side, and then looked at Lao Wu blankly and muttered, "You are gone, what should Sister-in-law Zheng and Xiao Nan do?" How do you let them live? ”

Lao Wu hatefully inserted the half-sharpened ring knife in his hand into the soil under his feet, and then said dejectedly: "If I don't go, Xiao Nan has to go." If I don't go, my family will have to pay a tax of one acre and one stone. If I don't go, will the two of them survive? Old Yang, you say me, but what about you? You went, what about Arlo? You don't even have a person in your family, you are gone, Ah Luo is alone, how will she live? You say, you say? ”

Hearing his old friend's questioning, Lao Yang was also full of pain. He only felt as if the power that controlled his body had been hollowed out. He looked crumbling, but he was trying his best to support his body, and then he said, "Let Ah Luo and Xiao Nan get married." The three of them also took care of it. My family's few acres of thin fields can also produce more grain. It's enough for the three of them to live. Alas, our lives of endless battles must never fall on our children and grandchildren again! ”

When Lao Wu heard this, he nodded thoughtfully, and then said, "Yes." When will the world be warned? We two old men have been in heaven's mercy to this day. I don't want future generations to suffer this catastrophe. It's just that in this world, when can it be decided? ”

The two were relatively speechless again, each sighed, and then Lao Wu continued to lower his head and sharpen his knife.

There has long been a tacit understanding between these robes who lived together on the battlefield back then. At this time, they were relatively speechless, but the two were also thinking about the same thing in their hearts.

The deadline to apply for the prefectural high school is only three days. Three days later, if there is no family member in the army, the county government will send someone down to collect taxes. It is a heavy tax that almost costs the lives of the family for a stone, one stone per acre. Both of them wanted to complete the marriage of their children in these three days, and then the two families became one, and from then on, even if the two went out on the expedition, or even died on the battlefield, the widows and children of the two families also took care of each other.

After the two of them had planned for a while, they whispered to each other for a while, and then they both looked at each other and smiled. It's just that this smile is mixed with too much unspeakable bitterness and helplessness.

*************************

In Guzang City, on the half-built Lingjun platform, building materials such as green bricks and strip stones are still scattered at this time. Traces of half-built walls and then demolition can be seen everywhere. A middle-aged man dressed in a fancy costume walked in the middle of it, following the same steps. From time to time, he looked south, and from time to time there was a hint of worry in his eyes.

This person is the current Liangzhou Thorn History, Zhang Mao. At this time, he went up to the half-built Lingjun platform, climbed high and looked at the moon, but his expression was quite attentive to the south, as if he could find some fighting sounds or afterimages of the tragic battlefield from the starlight in the south. Now the battlefield on the front line of Jincheng in the south not only affects him, but also affects the attention of the whole state.

Since a few days ago, he issued an order ordering the counties and counties, including Guangwu, Xiping, Jinxing, Wuxing, and Wuwei, to mobilize with all their might, and more than 30,000 troops have been gathered. However, not to mention the combat effectiveness, the number alone is still a drop in the bucket compared to the 200,000 or so Zhao troops who came from the oppression.

And even now, more than ten days have passed, and the report obtained by the sentinel cavalry shows that Sangbi and Jicheng, two lone troops that exist like sharp knives deeply inserted into Liu Zhao's hinterland, are still defending the two cities and resisting stubbornly. The people who were defending these two cities were all the elite troops of the state government, and their consumption was like cutting meat in Zhang Yuanjun's heart, which made him unable to help himself for a long time.

However, in addition to these two cities, the battle situation in Jincheng tugged at Zhang Yuanjun's heartstrings. Now the soldiers of Guangwu and Jincheng counties are all entrenched on the north and south banks of Jincheng County. With two counties and some state troops, but only five or six thousand people, they held on to Jincheng County for seven days.

However, after a long battle, the documents asking for help and calling for emergencies flew to the city of Guzang in the state like snowflakes one by one, until they formed a hill on Zhang Yuanjun's desk. He really couldn't blame the front-line soldiers, they were using their own flesh and blood to build a solid and reliable wall for Liangzhou. The Zhao army repeatedly attacked Jincheng and increased its troops several times. Today, the number of troops attacking Jincheng alone has reached 60,000!

In recent days, the Zhao army has taken turns to attack Jincheng with almost no sleep. The situation is becoming more and more critical. On the document sent back by Zhang Lang's herald cavalry, he said bluntly: "Today, the thieves are powerful, and they are in the mountains and tunnels, and they are attacking me day and night...... Our army suffered heavy casualties, and on the day before yesterday alone, Dongcheng received more than 500 corpses...... Until now, the soldiers are tired and the army is sluggish, but they still have the determination to die, and they fight to the death in the city. Servants must be the first in every battle, and the soldiers are excited, and they are willing to fight to the death, and they will not surrender! ”

In Zhang Lang's letter, although there is no mention of asking for help, the critical situation in Jincheng County can be seen in this letter. Zhang Lang used the word "death battle" many times, which also showed the fact that Jincheng was already weak in succession. According to Han Ning, who was guarding the camp on the north bank of Jincheng, he also had no soldiers to adjust. Zhao Jun's repeated attempts to set up pontoon bridges to smuggle across the river were also discovered by the north bank and repelled in time. Otherwise, the current situation is really hard to say.

Zhang Mao stood alone on the Lingjun platform, looking up at the peaceful and quiet night sky above his head, thinking about this critical situation alone, and finally made up his mind. He turned around, walked down the Lingjun platform, and then returned to the Thorn Mansion alone.

The night patrol soldiers along the way, seeing this envoy walking alone, did not dare to step forward, but followed all the way from a distance, until the envoy was sent back to the Assassin's Mansion, and then retreated with peace of mind.

Zhang Mao entered the Thorn Mansion, walked through the front yard and corridor, and arrived at the inner hall. He rubbed his aching temples and pushed open the door of the inner hall, only to see a few candles burning in the inner hall, and his nephew Zhang Jun was sitting quietly on the bed next to the case. In front of him, there was a stack of papers. It was the urgency and deployment documents that had been sent from various places before.

Seeing Zhang Mao come in, Zhang Jun got up to greet him, saluted with a heavy face, and said, "Uncle works hard day and night on state affairs, and he still needs to take care of his noble body." Before, Jun Shao didn't do anything, but he didn't know that the situation was critical. failed to share his worries with his uncle, and Jun was also at fault. ”

Zhang Mao saw that his nephew was talking about his worries at this time, and his face was already happy. He laughed, "It doesn't matter. The situation is critical because my uncle is incompetent, and it is not what my uncle wants to worry about and suffer. The previous conscription order has been issued, and all states and counties have already recruited Dingkou, and they will be able to go to the Jincheng front line in a few days to turn the tide of the war. My nephew, don't be alarmed. ”

Called...... Hearing his uncle's narration, Zhang Jun couldn't help but hang his head slightly and fell into deep thought......