In October, in the south of the Yangtze River, the autumn frost gradually rises, and the sycamore leaves are yellow.

After entering October, the troops stationed along the Yangtze River near Jiankang began to prepare for winter exercises. Originally, it was said that the imperial court was conducting winter marching drills to prepare for possible winter battles in the future.

This kind of drill has also happened from time to time in the past, and basically it will be held every one or two months, not only for military training, but also to contain and harass the Beichen army on the other side. However, unlike usual, the scale of the Nan Chen Army's exercise this time was unusually large. From the very beginning, all the Nanchen troops along the coast were included in the drill list, and then a large number of troops were drawn from all over the south every day. At the same time, the imperial court also began to levy a large number of civilian labor, and increased the grain and grass. In just a few days, more than 200,000 troops had already been mobilized along the coast. In the two Yangtze River ferries in the upper and lower reaches of Jiankang, the two major military towns of Quarry and Guazhou, at this time there have already been countless warships, civilian ships and merchant ships all over the place, and the Northern Expedition will cross the river from these two ferries. It was Li Zitong's Western Route Army who quarried to cross the river, and then attacked Liyang directly. The Guazhou River was crossed by the Middle Route and the East Route Army, which attacked Jiangdu and Shanyang Towns respectively.

Du Fuwei, Li Zitong, Shan Xiongxin, the three marshals under Shen Luoyan, are also the commanders of the three routes of the Northern Expedition. It seems that the three generals are competing in secret, and the preparations of the three-way army for the Northern Expedition of the North are unusually fast.

Shen Luoyan, as the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition and the commander of the opening feint attack on Jiujiang, was extremely high-profile in the mobilization of troops and horses. The messengers from all walks of life continued to come and go, and the scouts and horses along the way kept approaching the Jiujiang counties, and the cities of Panyang County and Yi'an County, which were close to Jiujiang and other counties, continued to increase the number of soldiers and horses. Every morning, as soon as the morning dawns, there are brigades of men and horses waving various banners to reinforce the cities on the front line.

As soon as it was dark, the soldiers and horses in the city quietly went out of the city and hid in the mountains not far away, and the morning dawned. and under different banners, they roared into the cities. Time. Hu Hai, the commander of the Jiangxi Provincial Governor, constantly received urgent reports from various cities every day, saying that Nanchen was preparing a large-scale attack and was coming to fight Jiujiang again.

In June, after Beichen recovered the five counties of Jiujiang. Shen Luoyan also came to attack twice, but both of them covered the flag. Therefore, the city guards found out that Chen's army was mobilized in a big way. did not suspect that it was Nan Chenjun who was tired in it. Although this kind of fake troop increase drama, Marshal Li Jing also used this trick when he feinted at Linyu Pass, and deceived the famous Hebei generals Xue Shixiong and Li Jing. However, at this time, the government troops of Jiangxi Province were also transferred to the north, and even the township soldiers were also transferred to the north. Only a small number of sailors, township soldiers, and militia groups remained. It's normal for these guards not to notice for a while.

Faced with Nan Chenjun's robbery, Hu Hai didn't worry much. After all, the strength of the Southern Chen Army is actually on the same level as the township soldiers of Northern Chen. What's more, the weapons and equipment of the Northern Chen army are much stronger than those of the Southern Chen army, and this time it is only a defensive battle, so Hu Hai is not much worried. It was just an order to raise the vigilance of the cities, impose a curfew at night, and send more horse scouts to reconnoitre.

Recovered intelligence shows. The Nan Chen army was indeed engaged in large-scale mobilization. I heard that more than 300,000 troops were mobilized this time, and 500,000 people were also mobilized. Hear this. Hu Hai couldn't help but marvel. In addition to being amazed, he also knew that there were no more reinforcements, so on the one hand, he also sent people to Huainan and Lingnan to send letters, asking the governors of Anwei Province, Hubei Province, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Hainan Province to reinforce some troops and horses, and prepare to work together to deal with the large-scale attack of Beici Nanchen.

First, around Jiujiang and other five counties in the south of the Yangtze River, Dachen's side is also mobilized again and again. One battalion after another continued to march towards Jiujiang to reinforce Hu Hai. In order to defend the five counties, Hu Hai was even ready to give up some small and medium-sized towns if necessary, and go all out to defend several large cities and fight to the death with Nan Chen. …,

But as a result, time passed day by day, but Nan Chen's side suddenly began to have no movement. Even the troops that came in every day stopped. Standing on Jiujiang City, Hu Hai couldn't help but be puzzled, and he was on guard every day, but Nan Chen suddenly didn't move at all.

In the morning, the entire Jiankang City was still shrouded in a vast white mist.

The sound of horses' hooves broke the silence of the early morning in the capital, and at the open gate, a group of knights rushed into the open gate of the capital like a whirlwind, the knights' bright red cloaks fluttering in the wind, and the golden dragon emblem scorched in the dawn light.

The people on the road gathered around and tried to pull the messenger to ask for clarification, but the messenger was as fast as a gust of wind, and rushed through the crowd without stopping, leaving only the frightened people with a back.

"The military situation is urgent, Yang Jun is advancing westward, breaking three bars in a row, Dong Chun's army has broken through Yichang City two days ago, and the 150,000 army is approaching Jiang Ling!"

In the palace of the princess of Chu State, the messenger who was full of confusion and soaked robes gasped and reported: "During the June battle, Yuwen Chengdu in Guanzhong retreated to Guanzhong due to the emergency in Chang'an. Due to the siege of Jiankang, King Wu led his troops to withdraw to Jiangnan to relieve the siege, so Yang Yong was able to recover his vitality and began to advance westward. In the Battle of August, King Wu and Yang Xuan were defeated and lost Sanba. In September, Shen Lun, the son of King Wu, led his troops to recover Brazil, and his second son, Shen Yi, led his troops to recover Badong. The third and fourth princes and the generals Chen Guolun and Sun Shihan recovered Bazhong. Everything is going well, and it looks like he is about to defeat Yang Jun and recover Hanzhong. Unexpectedly, everything before was that Yang Jian deliberately showed weakness and defeat, causing Chen's army to advance lightly, and as a result, the soldiers and horses led by the third and fourth princes were ambushed in the Micang Mountain, and the whole army was annihilated. Then the soldiers and horses of the eldest prince and the second prince were also defeated successively, with an army of 100,000 on three routes, and finally only more than 30,000 people retreated to Jiangling. ”

At the end of September, Dong Chunfa sent an army of 150,000 troops out of Micang Road to the east, and King Wu led his army to Yichang, and the two armies fought for only one day, and Yichang City fell. Now the king of Wu retreated to Jiangling City, although Jiangling still has 100,000 soldiers and horses, but because of the defeat of the previous battles, the old soldiers have been lost, and now the soldiers and horses in the city are all old and weak, but I am afraid that it will be difficult to hold for a long time. ”

In addition to Shen Luoyan, there were also the commanders of the Three Route Army who were preparing for the Northern Expedition, Du Fuwei, Li Zitong, Shan Xiongxin, and the three generals of the Three Routes.

After the spy finished speaking in one breath, the generals were already solemn. Now that everything is ready, it is time for the Northern Expedition. No one could have imagined that on the eve of the Northern Expedition, such a major event occurred at the King of Wu in the east.

Previously, the four princes led the army to the west. None of you in Jiankang City received the news. Now I suddenly heard that the four sons were defeated. 70,000 soldiers were surrendered, and now not only are the three bars not guaranteed, but Jiang Ling is about to be unable to hold it. How this does not make them anxious. Compared with the unknown future of the Northern Expedition, the Jianghan Imperial Court was obviously more important. Once the Jianghan lands in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River are lost, then the enemy will go down the river. Nan Chen's demise is not far off.

At this time, what everyone didn't expect was that King Wu, who had been beating Yang Jun and couldn't turn over, would suddenly lose so badly under Yang Yong's hands now. Not only did he lose the three bars that he had so hard to capture, but even Jiang Ling was about to be unable to defend it.

Du Fuwei slapped the table and said hatefully: "Dog-day, all this is to blame on Chen Kefu, if this kid hadn't been paying money, food, and weapons to hang Yang Yong's life, we would have killed Yang Yong a long time ago, maybe we would have taken Shuzhong now." And where is the situation like this? ”

Li Zitong sneered twice: "The enemy of the enemy is a friend, Chen Kefu just took a fancy to hang Yang Yan's life, and he could separate Chen, Shu, and Xu like a wedge." And attract our firepower. will support it with such efforts. Now the facts are different and prove that he is right? With Yang Jun here, none of us have taken Hanzhong in the past few years. None of them can get Shuzhong, and no one can spare their hands to deal with Chen Pojun. He just spent a little money and food, and he supported the strength of the four of us, what a smart move, but unlike some people, who only know how to fight and kill, and are just reckless. ”…,

"Who do you say is a reckless man, do you say it again?"

"The two generals don't quarrel, let's ask Qing Jiangling how is the situation now? Although it is a pity that Sanba was lost, it could not shake the national capital for a while. The most important thing at the moment is Jiang Ling's situation, Jiang Ling must not afford to lose. As soon as Jiang Ling is lost, Jiang Han will no longer be able to protect it. Shan Xiongxin persuaded on the side.

Shen Luoyan nodded: "Did King Wu ask you to bring me a letter?" ”

The messenger nodded: "King Wu has a message for me to pass on to Her Royal Highness the Princess, saying that it is for you to hurry to Jiangling!" ”

"Does King Wu let the princess go alone or let the princess lead reinforcements?" Shan Xiongxin asked carefully.

"This King Wu didn't say it explicitly, and his subordinates didn't know it."

"Then what happened to King Wu at that time?"

The messenger looked left and right at the generals, his face unnatural, and he was silent.

"Tell me straight, it's all people who have believed." Seeing the messenger's appearance, Shen Luoyan already had a bad premonition in his heart.

"When Dong Chun attacked Yichang, King Wu supervised the battle in the city, but he was hit by a stray arrow and injured his heart. Although the doctor took out the arrow, the doctor said that King Wu's injury was too deep and he couldn't last half a month. King Wu therefore passed the princess to Jiangling! ”

"Bang!" The teacup in Shen Luoyan's hand fell to the ground. Although the relationship between her and her father has not been harmonious, she still couldn't help but lose her mind when she heard the news at this time.

"Princess, King Wu was seriously injured, Yichang fell, Jiang Lingcheng is full of recruits, old and weak, and the morale of the army is low, I am afraid that I will not be able to hold out for long in front of a famous general like Dong Chun. Princess, please also lead the army to rescue Jiang Ling as soon as possible. If Jiang Ling is lost, Chen Guo will have no chance to revive. Shan Xiongxin said.

After wiping away two lines of tears, Shen Luoyan called the messenger into the back room alone to ask.

"When you go out of the city, who will be in charge of Jiang Ling?"

"After King Wu was seriously injured, he ordered Shi Zilun to lead Jiang Ling and command the Jiang and Han armies. However, "

"But what?"

The messenger hesitated again and again before saying, "However, after the princes learned the news that King Wu was seriously injured and would die, they were not willing to obey the orders of the prince. The second son, Shen Yi, was stationed in Lin Cheng, the magistrate of Nanjun, but after hearing the news of his transfer to Jiangling, he refused to obey the order, and said that the eldest prince had no right to transfer him. The third son, Shen Wei, was stationed in Anlu County, and the fourth son, Shen Wei, was stationed in Chuyang County, and they all refused to obey the order to go to Jiangling. In addition, on the way here, I heard that the fifth son, Shen Yu, had won the support of the generals Chen Guoren and Sun Shihan in Baling County, and called himself King Wu, and I heard that he had led his troops to Jiangling. ”

"None of the five brothers was smart and capable when they started fighting, but they didn't expect that they would react so quickly one by one now. What are they doing here? Do you want to stand on your own, or do you want to fight in the nest? Shen Luoyan spit out a sentence coldly, waved his hand to wave the messenger away, and sat alone in the room in silence and independence, for a long, long time.