The stars and moon shone slightly, and the last burning sentinel boat floated on the surface of the water, illuminating brightly near the water, and the orange sparkling water light swept into the rich and endless night in the distance. The click of the keel breaking, the ship's planks sinking into the water with the flames, "hissing", and mist rose in all directions to cover the water.

A Mengchong battleship shuttled through the mist a few times, and the wind lantern picked out the ship's overboard, looking for potential fish in the water. A round gourd floated from a distance, and dozens of sharp arrows shot along the "swish" pointed by the wind lantern. The gourd burst, stirring up a sound of water, and the sergeants on the Meng Chong ship saw that it was just a gourd, and scolded one after another.

After a while, when nothing was found on the surface, they retreated, and there were the same four Mengchong ships parked there in the shadows.

The sound of birds and birds drumming their wings in the bushes on both sides of the bank gradually faded, and the faint insect chirping near the shore was endless, making it seem that the Qingjiang River was particularly empty, and occasionally there was a sharp roar of night owls. In the faint night, the five Mengchong warships belonging to the Qingjiang Water Camp anchored and returned to Lishui River Port.

When Xu Ruyu returned to the Lishui River Valley, he took a series of measures against the large and small forces in the Lishui River Valley.

In addition to Xu Ruyu's Qingyan Army in the Lishui River Valley, Xu Jingcheng's 3,000 elite soldiers and 10,000 family dependents occupy Xuancheng on the north bank, and the small and medium-sized families who lost the battle for hegemony in Jingjun have six cottages and three dock forts on Huaiyu Mountain and the land on the west bank of Huaiyu Mountain, and there are seven small cottages with a number of about 300 to 500 at the western foot of Taishan Mountain, and there are more than ten large and small water villages in the Qingjiang River and the Hongjiang River and Fuchun River, the tributaries of the Qingjiang River on the west bank. The northern defensive line from Beilingbao to Ulenburg was occupied by the forces of the former Xuancheng Shuiying and Minzhai forces, blocking the most powerful Twelve Kou Alliances on the outer edge of the Lishui River Valley.

Xu Ruyu moved all the people within 20 miles of Xuancheng and settled on the land between the Wulun River and Taishan, and cut off all the water and water passages in Xuancheng before the two sentinel water battalions and the 1,000 elite troops deployed between Xuancheng and the Wulun River, forcing Xu Jingcheng to make a decision before the material use was exhausted.

At the same time, under the leadership of Xu Ruyu, Zhang Zhongdao, Meng Yi and many other masters, the 500 soldiers of the Suwei camp forcibly captured a cottage of 300 people at the eastern foot of Taishan. The 27 captured Kou chiefs were said to be executed at the east gate of Lishui City, and the spectators were like a tide. Subsequently, Xu Ruyu announced that he would accept the surrender of a small cottage that had long been blocked at the eastern foot of Taishan. Compared with the tolerance of Yang Shang along the river in Fuzhou, this time he only promised to protect the net worth and surname of Gui Liukou.

Shao Haitang, Ji Ziheng, Xu Ji and other non-Fan generals of the Xiangfan Society were attached, so that the Xuancheng Water Camp was smoothly incorporated into the Qingjiang Water Camp and became the third battalion of the Qingjiang Water Battalion, which was commanded by Ji Ziheng and commanded the title. The third battalion of the Qingjiang Water Battalion was stationed in the waters of the Qingjiang River near Beilingbao, and coordinated with the 500 garrisons of Beilingbao to block the Qingjiang waterway.

Xu Ruyu stood on the turntable embankment on the south bank, watched the five Mengchong warships safely turn into the estuary, and also turned around and walked towards the city. Luo Xiaohu became his only guard, quietly following him.

Xu Ruyu walked back to the government office, and Wei Yu had already returned from the river port on a fast horse. Xu Ruyu pulled him into the military conference hall and asked him the details of this battle.

"There are only three kinds of sentinel boats, and they can't escape by holding the side of the ship with a hook and sickle, and then it's easy."

Liang Bao was on duty in the military conference hall and recorded the general situation of Wei Yu's battle, and the details were clearly verified by others. Listening to him say so lightly, I knew that these three sentinel boats did not leave a living mouth. looked down at Xu Ruyu, who was sitting silently, and saw that he frowned slightly, as if he was thinking about something else.

To clear and suppress the small water bandits in the middle reaches of the Qingjiang River, Wei Yu and Mi Yusheng took turns leading the various units of the water camp to fight, Wei Yu only gave others the opportunity to surrender before the war, and there was no mercy after the war. Therefore, among the generals of Lishui, Wei Yu's reputation is the loudest, and the Qingjiang water bandits often flee without a fight when they see Wei Yu's banner from afar.

A small group of water bandits provided a large number of actual combat opportunities for the Qingjiang water battalion, and on the Qingjiang River, except for the Qingjiang League, the Lichun Society, and the Hongjiang Battalion, there were no other water bandits operating on the Qingjiang River.

Wei Yu thought to himself: Mr. wants to do something to these three Jiang bandits.

The sound of beating came from the alley of Qu Qian, and the candle flame in front of the hall flickered, making Xu Ruyu take his thoughts back.

Xu Ruyu stood up and walked two steps, reached out and took out the topographic map of the Lishui River Valley from the gilded blue vertical bottle, his fingers just untied the ribbon, tied the ribbon again, put it back in its place, and said to Wei Yu: "It's late at night, you go back and rest." With that, he took Luo Xiaohu out of the military chamber.

Wei Yu took out the topographic map, spread it on the long case, looked at it for a while, and said to Liang Bao: "Mr. wants to make a move against these three Jiang bandits." ”

Liang Bao said worriedly: "These three Mengchong warships and above have more than one hundred and fifty warships, and in the past month or so, the bandits on the Qingjiang River have been cornered by our suppression, and many warships have joined each other, not to mention that they have made peace with the Twelve Kou Alliance. Oh, today, Wei Yan led a team of people to the north bank to fight, and Xu Jingcheng went out of the city to patrol the people clashed, Wei Yan asked his subordinates to change wooden sticks, and beat them back to the city with blue noses and swollen eyes. Xu Jingcheng sent Gao Quan to Dangtu and then to Wuzhou, and only got the exact news in the afternoon, and it seems that Xu Jingcheng intends to return to the Zhu family. ”

"Ah, how could Wei Yan go to the north bank, and the men and horses of the Qingjiang cavalry camp are still not in this village?"

Wei Yu took the silk book in front of Liang Bao, and there was no record of the transfer of the Qingjiang cavalry battalion.

"Wei Yan went to the north bank at noon, but the Qingjiang cavalry camp was secretly transferred out at night, and the warrant signed by Mr. himself, and the troop transfer order were not used, how could there be a record?"

"I don't think things are necessarily so simple, most of the Qingjiang cavalry camp went to the north bank. The reason why Mr. secretly mobilized the Qingjiang cavalry camp must be because he was afraid that among the people who came with Shao Haitang last time, there were Xu Jingcheng's spies. ”

Speaking of Shao Haitang, Wei Yu snorted coldly. After Xu Ruyu returned to the Lishui River Valley, he strengthened the defense line between Ulenburg and Taishan, and transferred the migrants east of Ulenburg to Qingjiang elsewhere, so the defense of Beilingbao was much lighter, and Shao Haitang returned to Lishui City.

Xu Ruyu asked him to serve as the Qingyan military advisor, but Shao Haitang resigned. Xu Ruyu knew the concerns in his heart, and he didn't force it, so he continued to participate in military politics as a guest secretary of the Qingyan Army, and pushed many of his teaching affairs in the Yanwu Hall to him. Although Wei Yu didn't like it, he had to go to his door to listen to him talk about history, lecture on government affairs, and others.

Liang Bao nodded and said, "When Mr. Shao heard the news that Gao Quan went to Dangtu and Wuzhou, he stayed at home because of his illness, and I was the only one on tonight's night." ”

Wei Yu said coldly: "I'm afraid that after Xu Jingcheng's matter is resolved, his illness will be cured." Xu Jingcheng wanted to belong to the Zhu family and had a good idea, but it was a pity that he went to other people's houses. ”

Zhu Fan two families in 50 years ago in the power of the world's great family, Yue County five mansions and 23 yi, boiling the sea to burn salt, mining and iron, each family's private property of fertile land is more than 10,000 hectares, Mr. Shao said, 50 years ago Fan Zhu two families of boat division rampant on the river, Fan family Yuhang naval army ranked eighth of the world's top ten elite soldiers.

The decline of the Zhu and Fan families was caused by the 40-year armed struggle of the Baiyi people at the foot of Wuling Mountain, and later, the Puji bandits invaded Jinhua and invaded the coasts of Yuhang and Wuzhou, making the already poor Fan and Zhu families even worse. The two of them thought about the blood spilled by the clansmen in Qingjiang Mansion, but they didn't want to mention it, and after a moment of silence, Liang Bao said: "The Zhu family is already a second-rate family, where Xu Jingcheng goes, we don't have to worry about it, but it's a pity that the more than 10,000 family members are suffering from running around." ”

Wei Yu still responded to his words, but he thought in his heart: Mr. still misses Xu Jingcheng's old friendship.

Xu Ruyu was hesitating in his heart, walked to the backyard, and saw that the lights were still on in the room, and the figures of Youli and Jue'er were reflected in the window paper, and the two of them put their heads together, as if they were saying something.

Jue'er suddenly saw Xu Ruyu push open the door and walk in, startled, spat at him, and scolded: "Dead Xiaoyu, like a ghost......" As she spoke, she stood up and walked out of the door, ignoring Ruyu's reaction.

Xu Ruyu hugged Youli into his arms, gently kissed Youli's soft and smooth neck with his slightly bearded lips, and said softly: "This night is really long." ”

In the candlelight, the young Li Jing was red, leaning softly on Xu Ruyu's arms, hugging Xu Ruyu behind him with his backhand, and said: "Zhongdao, the Twelve Teachings, Wei Yan and the three hundred soldiers of the Qingjiang Cavalry Battalion have all secretly gone to the north bank, and they will be fine." ”

"Xu Jingcheng is in a predicament, I'm just afraid... Trapped beast ......" Xu Ruyu's words were inaudible, and Youli looked up at him, looking at Xu Ruyu with clear eyes.

Xu Ruyu rested his chin on her smooth forehead and said, "Mr. Shao is sick, how can I embarrass him, wait, it's a pity that I have to let you sit with me again." ”

Youli was about to say something, when he heard a noisy sound at the gate of the courtyard, and Liang Bao was asking the guard Xu Ruyu if he had returned to the house. Although Xu Ruyu didn't want to, he knew that it couldn't be avoided, so he asked, "What's wrong?" ”

"Miss Ruyan secretly took the salute to the north shore, and Mr. Shao went to chase after her, let me talk to Mr."

Xu Ruyu Huo Ran stood up and said, "You go and inform the generals to go back to the military hall to wait and see what happens, and you Li and I will go to the north bank first." ”

Xu Ruyu rushed to the Xuancheng light armor battalion set up in the camp outside the west gate of Xuancheng, the soldiers in the camp were all dressed in stubborn and stubborn battles, and the soldiers of the Qingjiang cavalry battalion had already stepped into the war horse, and the horses without a title neighed. The pine resin torch beeps and burns, and the sky and earth are filled with a rich aroma of pine resin.

Shao Haitang, Meng Yi, Ming Xi, and Zhang Zhongdao were at a loss to welcome Xu Ruyu and Youli into the camp, only Wei Yan "snapped" and pressed the spring on the scabbard, and the standard saber jumped and jumped, revealing a ray of snow knife light.

Xu Ruyu said as he walked: "You don't need so many torches, just do it as usual, withdraw the men and horses outside the camp, I will go to the city with Zhong Dao and Mr. Shao, you stay in the camp, no one can act rashly without my order." ”

Xu Ruyu's set was to avoid provoking Xu Jingcheng and making him make unexpected moves. Youli stood behind Xu Ruyu with a worried face, wanting to follow him, but he was afraid that he would involve him.

Xu Ruyu and the three of them rode to the west gate of Xuancheng three miles away, and on the way, Shao Haitang told him in detail about Shao Ruyan's departure: "I have no intention of mentioning Gao Quan's trip to Wuzhou to Ruyan, this girl immediately thought that Xu Jingcheng might leave Xuancheng recently, and resented me in my heart, but I didn't show a little face, and secretly sorted out my makeup, and I hid it from her." ”

Xu Ruyu saw Shao Haitang's gloomy expression, showing that he was still ashamed of his abandonment of Xiangfan Society in the north, and said loudly: "Mr. can't take care of the small righteousness for the sake of righteousness, Xu Jingcheng has a better choice, but he gave up one by one." ”

Shao Haitang looked at the lights on the west tower of Xuancheng, the figures under the lights, the city gate was opened, and he vaguely saw the generals hidden in the city gate. sighed and said, "It's good that Xu Jingcheng can leave like this." Now that Ruyan has gone to Xuancheng, Xu Jingcheng must be able to think that the situation today is all caused by the slow arrangement of you and me in the past month, and with his surname, I can't think of what will happen. ”

"Even if Ruyan doesn't go, it won't be so flat. The people of the Xiangfan congregation have their own insistence on staying and leaving, and the tens of thousands of family members have been wandering for several years, and it is rare to give up for a few months. Besides, Xiangfan will be founded as an anti-family family, and now Xu Jingcheng has gone to the Zhu family, how can there be no objection in the meeting? It's come to this point, and it's not appropriate to think about it. He took off his saber from the saddle, thought for a moment, put his hand on the dirt floor, and said, "I hope to come back tonight to get it." ”

Zhang Zhongdao pushed the spear back into the mud, leaving only the head of the spear more than three inches long to expose the ground, and said with a smile: "The spur is done." Thou shalt not be less arrogant and say, when you come back, you should go and have a drink first, and let Wei Yan take this blade. ”

Shao Haitang also took off the saber, gently threw it next to Xu Ruyu's saber, clamped the horse's belly, and the horse galloped towards the city like lightning.

The soldiers of the city tower were like facing a great enemy, and they opened their bows one after another, and the arrows were directed at the three people under the city. Xu Jingcheng stood out of the city tower, his handsome face was backlit, with an indescribable gloom, and the sharp edge of his starry eyes flickered, making it impossible to see his joys, sorrows, and sorrows. Shao Ruyan's petite body was next to Xu Jingcheng, her face drooped slightly, and her soft eyebrows looked extremely resolute and pale.

Xu Ruyu raised his head and said loudly: "Can we go up to the city tower to talk?" ”

Xu Jingcheng waved his hand, and the sergeants on both sides were like water on both sides.

Xu Ruyu and Shao Haitang glanced at each other, and at the same time jumped up to the city tower more than three zhang high, looking at the soldiers on both sides of the same point at the two of them with bows and arrows in their hands, their expressions could not hide their fear, and they couldn't help worrying that one of them would accidentally let the bow and arrow in their hands go off the string.

Xu Jingcheng said in a deep voice: "Why are you coming? ”

"I don't dare to join forces or forget, this year has become this trend of riding a tiger, Xu Ruyu has a lot of mistakes, and I am here to apologize." Xu Ru stood half a step forward without fear, meeting the resentful flame in Xu Jingcheng's eyes. Countless people poured up to the city tower from Dengcheng Road, surrounded Xu Shao and the others, and the halberds were staggered, forcing the three of them to the front.

Zhang Zhongdao laughed, didn't care about the halberd on his chest, looked at Xu Jingcheng, and said, "I wanted to have a drink before you left, so it seems that it is extravagant." He waved his sleeves, cut his hands, and looked at him.

Shao Haitang looked around angrily, and the sergeants of the Xiangfan Society immediately wanted to say that he was majestic in the meeting, and his arrogance was a little lower, and they all took a few steps back, still surrounding the two of them in the middle, and between the staggered, the longbowman pointed at the three of them with the sharp arrow in his hand.

"You can't be so rude to the military advisor." A group of sergeants poured up from Dengcheng Road, led by a dark-skinned man, thirty-three or four-year-old, with thick knuckles holding a simple knife in his right hand, and Xu Ruyu recognized him as Ye Pianhong, the dragon snake of Yizhou.

The sergeants surrounding Xu Ruyu and the three of them were in a panic, and hundreds of people rushed up with Ye Pianhong, squeezed into the encirclement, and protected Xu Ruyu and Shao Haitang in it.

Ye Pianhong took a step forward and said to Xu Jingcheng: "Pianhong doesn't read much, and the old gang leader said when he taught Pianhong to go to righteousness and forget himself, and he will pass on the fire and do righteous deeds. People can die, but the spirit has to stay, and now you are leading everyone to join the family, even if you keep the name of Xiangfanhui, what is the use? ”

Xu Jingcheng raised his eyebrows and said, "How can you speak?" ”

Gao Quan stood up from behind Xu Jingcheng and said: "The two tigers fight for everything, since Xu Ruyu sent it to the door, we don't have to go to the Zhu family, as long as he is captured, why worry that the Qingyan Army will not agree to row the river with us?" ”

He took out his long sword, put it against Ye Pianhong's chest, and shouted, "You either stand over or retreat?" ”

Ye Pianhong was fearless, his chest straightened, and the blade of the sword pierced into half a minute, and after a while, blood oozed out of his clothes and hung red. Gao Quan didn't think that Ye Pianhong's surname would get up, he was not afraid of death, he was stunned, and he didn't know whether to stab the sword in or withdraw.

Shao Haitang snorted coldly, wrapped his long sleeves around the long sword in Gao Quan's hand, secretly put his fingers on the sword body, and with a surge of yin energy, a hundred refined steel sword broke into more than a dozen sections and fell to the ground.

Gao Quan stood there holding the hilt of his sword, the corners of his mouth twitching, he didn't say anything he wanted to say, and retreated.

Shao Haitang stood with his hands in his hands, the sharp edge in his eyes swept straight through everyone, and said slowly: "In July, the north shore was attacked, and thousands of corpses were ambushed for hundreds of miles. If it weren't for the friendship of the past, how could I give you food and grass for half a month? If you want to stay, this Lishui River Valley has its own side of the world, if you want to leave, we can also help the three or five days of the road for material use. ”

The encirclement was loosened a few more steps, and the archers hung down the bows and arrows in their hands one after another, not daring to look at Shao Haitang's awe-inspiring eyes.

Xu Jingcheng looked up to the sky and smiled, and Orr said indignantly: "If the two fight each other, they will share the profit and loss, but I am not willing to make this wedding dress for him." Xu Jingcheng picked up the iron halberd, a halberd pointed to the sky, and a halberd pointed at Xu Ruyu, his eyes were as red as blood, and his slightly raised eyes were strangely attracted to a little attraction, so that he couldn't take it off his eyes.

Shao Haitang said: "You still don't understand that the Xiangfan Association has been exhausted, and it has barely maintained itself for many years. You should say that if you allow me to reform the system and restore the spirit of Xiangfan, you may be able to live forever in the world. Now, look at you, who still has the face to describe the founding purpose of the Xiangfan Association in front of me? ”

Dozens of people poured into the city, knelt down in front of Xu Jingcheng, and said, "Lord, it's not that we want to abandon you, I really can't bear to watch the old man's wife and children running around with us, I hope the lord will be successful." ”

"You... You ......" Xu Jingcheng burst into the double halberd and stabbed into the head of one of them. The man tilted his head, his eyes widened, as if he didn't believe that Xu Jingcheng could make such a hot move. Blood flowed all over the ground, Xu Jingcheng swept with his halberd, and shouted in his mouth: "You all go away with righteousness." When Shao Ruyan saw him stabbing people, she was about to dodge, but she was still swept by the halberd wind in her waist, screamed, and fell out of the city like a flutter.

No one expected that Xu Jingcheng would suddenly go crazy, Xu Ruyu saw Shao Ruyan flying outside the city, got up and flicked his feet on the giant fist of Zhang Zhongdao, his body suddenly floated out of the city, grabbed the back of Shao Ruyan's neck, paused in the air, grabbed a handful of backhand to the city tower, and his body fell backwards, half of the fall had touched the city wall, and he lifted his foot on the city wall, and stepped on the vertical city wall to climb the city tower.

The people on the city tower were in a mess, and they were first divided into three groups of people who were unrecognizable, and they all avoided Xu Jingcheng far away. Ye Pianhong led more than a dozen people to surround Xu Jingcheng in it.

The iron halberd was dripping with blood, Xu Jingcheng looked at the people who were afraid of him like a tiger, and he felt a cold intuition oozing through his body, and a burst of weakness almost broke his mind. He looked over and asked, "Ruyan is okay." ”

Xu Ruyu handed Shao Ruyan in his arms to Shao Haitang and said, "It's just a matter of holding your breath, it's no big deal." ”

Xu Jingcheng asked: "You let go of the defense line between Beiling Fort and Ulunburg, it seems that the people here have already been moved away by you and there is no need to take strict precautions, but in fact, you are giving us the way?" ”

Xu Ruyu nodded.

"You don't want me to have 3,000 elites and 10,000 family members in my hands?"

"I don't want to. They are not resources, they are people, so I gave them the right to choose to stay or go, and this, you did not give them. ”

Xu Jingcheng said dejectedly: "You can say it as high-sounding, you see, there are few people in the city who want to leave, you win." ”

When Xu Jingcheng finally left Xuancheng, there were only 600 people who followed him, but Xu Zhaorong left. This made Xu Boying and Shao Haitang sigh.

The dust settled on the affairs of the Xiangfan Society, and the north shore was completely under the rule of Qingyan. Under the rule of the Qingyan Army, excluding the Baiyi people in Fuzhou and Wuling Mountain, there were as many as 180,000 people. There are 4,000 people in the water battalion of the Qingyan Army, and there are more than 12,000 foot soldiers excluding the Fuzhou Light Armor Infantry Battalion. Since all the horses of the Xiangfan Society were taken away by Xu Jingcheng, the Qingjiang cavalry camp still had only more than 200 war horses, but the staffing was more than 370.

Xu Ruyu handed over the defense of the south bank to Ziyang Yalan and 2,000 Baiyi soldiers, and there were still 1,000 Baiyi elites stationed on the line of Shengyun Village on Taishan Mountain on the west side.

The army of 5,000 people on the north bank was reduced to the second battalion of the Xuancheng Light Armored Infantry Battalion, with a full capacity of 1,500 people, and the rest were incorporated into the reserve. In the end, 2,400 elites from the Xiangfan Society remained, and they were reduced to the second battalion of the Suwei Battalion, with a full capacity of 1,500 people, and the rest returned. Originally, the 900 people who had been reduced were all elite divisions whose combat strength was far superior to that of Minzhai, but Xu Ruyu considered that after passing through the west gate of Xuancheng, those people were disheartened and could not bear to forcibly recruit them into the army. Originally, during the confrontation between the north and the south, the reserve force was incorporated into the army, which made the first battalion of the Xuancheng Light Armor Infantry Battalion and the first battalion of the Suwei Battalion seriously overnumbered, but now these have been streamlined and organized into the third battalion of the Suwei Battalion, with a full system of 1,500 people. So far, there are a total of 7,500 foot soldiers of the Qingyan Army in the Linshui River Valley.

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