The battalion of the 80,000 Xiaoguo Army was stationed in the south of Shanyang County, distributed in a long pattern, distributed on both sides of the Tongji Canal, stretching for 20 miles, basically parallel to the fleet in the canal.

In the camp of the former army, Sima Dejiao, Pei Qiantong, Zhao Xingshu and other thirteen people gathered in a big tent, nervously discussing countermeasures, they got the news that Yu Wenhua was going to hand over their heads to Zhang Xuan, which made these ten people furious.

Sima Dejiao said hatefully: "I originally thought that if we got rid of a faint king, everyone's life would be a little better, but I didn't expect him to be even worse than the faint king, I knew that this was the case, who would mention him to sell his life?" ”

Ling Hu Xingda was even more worried, "Now he obviously wants me to be a scapegoat, and put the responsibility of killing the monarch on our heads, it has nothing to do with his culture, we must not tolerate it!" ”

"It will not be tolerated!" The crowd roared together.

At this time, Pei Qiantong said coldly: "It's useless to just complain, if you want to survive, you have to come up with a way!" ”

Everyone looked at him, and Sima Dejiao snorted, "Then what do you think?" ”

"In fact, there are only two ways, either flee or fight back, there is no third option."

"Where can you escape? A few hundred cavalry were enough to catch us easily, and it would be the same beheading to capture us. ”

Marvenju vetoed the possibility of escaping, and everyone fell silent, they realized that they actually had only one way to fight back.

Everyone looked at Sima Dejiao, he was the person with the highest military rank, Sima Dejiao also accepted Pei Qiantong's plan, and said slowly: "The sum of the henchmen and soldiers in the hands of our people is estimated to be two thousand, Yu Wenhua likes to indulge in lust on the dragon boat, the defenders on the dragon boat are up to three hundred, we can use another boat to get close to the dragon boat where he is, so that we can avoid the guards on the shore." Cut off the head of Yu Wenhua and call on the army to mutiny, we can take advantage of the chaos to escape, of course, each take a sum of gold jewelry, and we will go to the south incognito for the rest of our lives. You can also be a rich man. ”

Everyone was moved, Sima Dejiao's plan was not only feasible, but also thought about the way back, Ling Hu Xingda gritted his teeth and said: "Just do it, let's act tonight!" ”

"We must act tonight, or tomorrow we will die." Sima Dejiao made a decision with one sentence

Just when Sima Dejiao and the others were discussing the assassination of Yu Wenhua in the middle of the night, in the camp on the east bank, a Xiaoguo army Wu Yonglang walked quickly to a big tent and said to the guards in front of the tent: "General Mai is here?" ”

The soldier looked at him strangely. I had never seen someone come to look for someone like this, and the team of soldiers at the head of the army was asking, "Who are you?" What's the matter with my general? ”

The general smiled slightly: "Tell me about it, just say that the old man is visiting, and the name is not easy to say, and he will know when he comes out." ”

The pro-soldiers were looking at him suspiciously, and immediately turned to enter the tent, and in a moment, a majestic general walked out. He is Mai Mengcai, the son of the former general Mai Tiecane, and the official is the general of the Xiaoguo Army.

"Who is looking for me?" Mai Mengcai asked loudly.

"Brother Mai. It's me, do you still know? ”

"You're Shen—"

Mai Mengcai immediately bit his tongue, he was surprised, the person who came turned out to be Shen Guang, wasn't he the scout leader of the Qingzhou Army?

Mai Mengcai once followed his father to Goguryeo and met Shen Guang in Liaodong. Although the relationship was not long, the two cherished each other and worshiped each other as brothers by the Liao River, and five or six years passed in a flash, and Mai Mengcai did not expect that Shen Guang would become Zhang Xuan's confidant. I didn't expect to meet him here.

Mai Mengcai hurriedly said: "Let's talk about it after entering the account!" ”

He took Shen Guang into his back account, and Shen Guang sneered: "Give Yu Wenhua and work hard, Brother Mai is very comfortable!" ”

Mai Mengcai's face suddenly flushed, and he said with shame: "Brother Xian scolded well!" ”

"I'm not here to scold you, I'm just asking you, what are you going to do? Is it to follow Yu Wenhua and fight hard with the Wagang Army, or do you have other plans? ”

Mai Mengcai suddenly came to his senses, he glanced at Shen Guang, and asked in a low voice, "Did Zhang Xuan ask you to come?" ”

Shen Guang nodded, "My handsome family has a good impression of you, saying that you are a loyal general, and he hopes that you will stop working for Yu Wenhua and his life." ”

Mai Mengcai once met Zhang Xuan, and it was he who sold a house of the Mai family to Zhang Xuan at a very low price, but at that time he never thought that Zhang Xuan would one day be crowned the king of Qi and become a prince with the strength to compete for the world.

Mai Mengcai sighed, "How can I be willing to work for him, to be honest, I plan to abandon my official position after crossing the Huai River, and go home to support my mother, but if there is anything that my brother needs my help, I will definitely do my best." ”

"It's not that I want you to help, but my handsome family asks you to help."

Shen Guang took out a letter and handed it to him, "This is a handwritten letter from the marshal of my family to my brother, brother, take a look!" ”

Mai Mengcai hesitated, but he still took the letter and opened it to read it, in which Zhang Xuan said that Sima Dejiao and others were likely to mutiny, and implored him to lead the army to protect the safety of the Queen Mother and hundreds of officials.

Mai Mengcai finally nodded, instead of abandoning the official and leaving, it is better to do something for the Great Sui, this is what the eldest husband does, and it is also his duty to protect the Queen Mother and the hundred officials.

"Alright! I promised King Qi. Mai Mengcai said resolutely.

Shen Guang smiled: "I will also stay to help you, I must take my brother out of the fire pit." ”

Although Yu Wenhua didn't dare to be rude to Empress Xiao, he didn't treat her well, Empress Xiao was actually under house arrest in her queen Xiang Yan boat, only more than 20 personal palace maids followed her, and the shore was full of Yu Wenhua's henchmen and guards, and they were not allowed to get off the boat.

Even on the first floor of the Xiang Boat, there were more than a dozen guards watching them, and Empress Xiao restrained her palace maids and did not allow them to go to the first floor, everyone lived on the second and third floors, in addition to Empress Xiao, her sister Concubine Xiao and her daughter Yang Ji'er also lived together.

In the evening, Yang Ji'er, the princess of Guangling, was helping her mother Empress Xiao comb her hair, and witnessed her father's death make this twelve-year-old naughty girl suddenly become mature.

She became very silent, and her carefree laughter was no longer heard in the boat, and she often sat alone by the window, staring blankly at the river, and sat for a long time, until the maid of the palace had something to look for her.

The mother and daughter didn't speak, and at this time, there was a faint woman's mournful singing from upstairs, and Empress Xiao sighed, "Ji'er, how is A-Niang?" ”

The aunt that Empress Xiao said was Yang Jier's biological mother, Concubine Xiao Shu, who also lived with Empress Xiao, because she was greatly stimulated by witnessing the killing of her son Yang Gao, and her mind was a little abnormal.

Yang Ji'er's expression was gloomy, "A-Niang is still the same, and my mother heard it." ”

Empress Xiao immediately diverted the topic, she reached out and grabbed her daughter's hand and smiled: "You can't comb your hair, let's let them comb it!" ”

Empress Xiao smiled and pulled her daughter to her side, the two palace maids stepped forward to continue combing her hair, and Empress Xiao said softly to her daughter: "Ah Li found a short sword in your room, is it the one that General Zhang gave you?" ”

Ah Li is Xiao Hou's personal palace maid, Xiao Hou is worried about her daughter, so she asked her to take care of Yang Jier, yesterday when Ah Li cleaned up the room, he accidentally found a sharp dagger under Yang Jier's pillow,

Yang Ji'er nodded silently, and finally spoke: "That's my daughter's self-defense weapon, my father is gone, and no one can protect my daughter, so I can only rely on myself." ”

Empress Xiao's nose was a little sour, and she hugged her daughter distressedly, "There is a mother, a mother will protect you, and no one will hurt you." ”

Yang Ji'er snuggled in her mother's arms, and after a moment, she asked in a low voice, "Does the queen mother think that General Zhang can kill Yu Wenhua?" ”

Empress Xiao was stunned for a moment, and then a wry smile appeared on her face, in her opinion, Zhang Xuan and Yu Wenhua are similar, they are both equally ambitious, and they both want to use their political influence to manipulate themselves, but her daughter seems to trust Zhang Xuan very much.

Of course, Empress Xiao also knows that Zhang Xuan is different from Yu Wenhua and many places, at least he will not hurt himself and Ji'er, will not occupy the concubine, and will not abuse the palace people, in this regard, he is far more trustworthy than Yu Wenhua.

And the most important thing is that her daughter trusts him, as a mother, she really doesn't want her daughter to live in fear and fear, Zhang Xuan may be able to let her daughter get out of the shadow of her father being forced to die.

Empress Xiao stroked her daughter's hair and smiled: "Whether General Zhang can kill Yu Wenhua or not, in fact, I don't know if I am a mother, but at least Yu Wenhua is very afraid of him, everyone can see it, I think, maybe we will soon be able to get rid of Yu Wenji's control." ”

Yang Ji'er's eyes burst out with deep hatred, she bit her lip and said: "My daughter only hopes that General Zhang can capture Yu Wenhua alive, and then hand over that thief to me, I will kill him with my own hands!" ”

Empress Xiao was really worried in her heart, she didn't want her daughter to spend the rest of her life in hatred, life was long, she was still so young, she had to let her daughter come out of hatred.

At this moment, a eunuch reported outside the door: "Queen Mother, Doctor Zhang is asking to see you!" ”

Empress Xiao also knew that although Zhang Kai was a person from Yu Wenhua, he secretly helped him bury his husband in Jiangdu Palace under the pretext of an autopsy, to some extent, Empress Xiao did not hate him, maybe Zhang Kai brought him some news.

She nodded, "Let him in!" ”

Empress Xiao immediately gave her daughter a look and asked her to leave, but Yang Ji'er didn't move, and she also wanted to know what news Zhang Kai would bring.

After a while, Zhang Kai was led into the room by a palace maid, and he knelt down at the foot of the steps and saluted, "Weichen see the Queen Mother!" ”

"Is there something wrong with Doctor Zhang looking for the mourning family?"

Zhang Kai glanced at the palace maids on both sides, and said in a low voice: "It's a matter of confidentiality, please let the palace people avoid it!" (To be continued.) )