At this time, Yutian City was already at the forefront of the war. Later, the Jin soldiers occupied the four cities of Zunhua, Luancheng, Yongping, and Qian'an, and looked at Yutian City from afar.

When Hong Chengchou led 20,000 Shaanxi soldiers into Yutian City, the people in the city had already fled, and it turned out that Yutian Zhixian did not know where to flee for their lives. In the entire Yutian City, there were less than 3,000 people, including the soldiers guarding the city and the people in the city.

20,000 Shaanxi soldiers were stationed, and this Yutian City basically became a military camp. Hong Chengchou cleaned up the original magistrate's yamen and used it as a temporary marshal's mansion.

Xu Liang, as the general of the Liang army, also found a separate courtyard to live in. A few days later, Tietou took Rou'er in Beijing and waited for Xu Liang's living, while Yang Laohan stayed in the Dongjiang Courtyard to guard the house.

On the night of the cold winter wax moon, the cold wind is biting cold. Xu Liang's residence was sealed with a thick curtain, and the charcoal basin was burning in the house, and the temperature was pleasant. Xu Liang pushed a cup of hot tea in front of Huang Daozhou, watched him tremble and drank it dry, frowned and reproached: "When you set off from Pingliang, I reminded you that with your physical condition, it is not suitable to go north with the army, you don't listen!" Now healed, get sick! ”

"Ahh Huang Daozhou sniffled, wrapped the thick quilt on his body, and smiled wryly in the face of Xu Liang's accusation.

Xu Liang looked at him with disgust and scolded: "Beware of your snot bubbles, this is a new quilt that was just added from the capital!" ”

When Huang Daozhou heard this, his old face turned red, he looked even more embarrassed, and he sneezed again before sniffing. Said: "My lord, I'm causing you trouble!" ”

"Hmph." Xu Liang let out a snort from his nostrils. turned to Rou'er, who was standing aside, and said, "Rou'er, clean up the room for this sick uncle." Add an extra quilt to the bed. ”

"Yes, sir." Rou'er said crisply, and turned around and walked out.

Huang Daozhou looked at Xu Liang, hehe Zhile, and said: "The lower officials know that the adults are benevolent and righteous, and they will not ignore the lower officials." ”

Xu Liang snorted lightly, took a sip of hot tea, and fiddled with the charcoal of the charcoal basin with one hand. After a while, he asked: "It's been four or five days since we moved to this Yutian City, has the grain and grass that Sun Chengzong promised to allocate in place?" ”

Huang Daozhou owed his body and said, "When we set off from outside the Yongding Gate, the grain and grass arrived. Now the military department is in charge of Lord Sun, and now that the enemy is current, the household department is also extremely cooperative. ”

Xu Liang nodded and said, "In this way, our army has enough food and grass. You have nothing to do as a quartermaster, so you stay here for a few days and go out to do things when you are well. ”

Huang Daozhou knew that Xu Liang also cared about his body, so he said obediently: "The lower official obeys the orders of the lord." ”

Xu Liang got up. He patted his clothes, took a mink cape, and draped it over his body. Leave a message to the Zodiac Zhou, "My room is warm." You stay first. I'm out for a walk. ”

After that, he went out of the house and called Tietou and a few Tsing Yi guards outside. The group left the house and walked along the empty street towards the city gate.

Under the east city gate, I saw He Huchen leading a few soldiers from outside the city.

Seeing this, Xu Liang asked, "General He, how is the situation outside the city?" ”

He Huchen arched his hand and said: "My lord, the last general will put the secret post outside for twenty miles, and no trace of the enemy soldiers has been found yet. Well, by the way, the Governor is on the castle tower right now. ”

When Xu Liang heard this, he was a little surprised, so he and He Huchen climbed the city tower, and in the city tower, he saw Hong Chengchou standing on the edge of the city tower with his hands in his hands, looking out of the city.

Xu Liang stood beside Hong Chengchou, and looked at it, outside the East City Gate was an open open field, and a few woods in the distance were in the howling cold wind, and it was not real. A squad of soldiers patrolling outside the city is returning to the city in formation.

He Huchen recounted the situation of the secret post outside the city to Hong Chengchou.

Xu Liang smiled and said: "Zhongcheng, it seems that Jin Bing is also afraid of the cold after this. In such a cold weather, they also have to nest in winter. ”

Hong Chengchou groaned: "Approaching the end of the year, Huang Taiji is also preparing for the New Year, according to this official, there should be no big moves on the Jin side in the next few days." ”

Xu Liang said: "My lord, although the task given to us by Lord Sun Chengzong is to defend Yutian City, we have 20,000 troops, and the Houjin soldiers in the nearest Luanzhou City are only 4,000 people. ”

Xu Liang's words made He Huchen and others also moved. It was the fourth day that 20,000 Shaanxi soldiers were stationed in Yutian City, and in addition to defending according to the order and distributing secret posts, Hong Chengchou strictly ordered the generals not to approach the garrison of the Houjin soldiers. Therefore, in the past four days, He Huchen and the others have not even seen what the Houjin soldiers look like.

However, when Hong Chengchou heard this, his face changed slightly, he looked at Xu Liang and He Huchen, and shook his head categorically: "No." Lord Sun's order to us is to garrison Yutian City. Then we just need to firmly hold Yutian City. As for taking the initiative to attack the Houjin soldiers, Master Sun had his own plans. We just need to obey orders. ”

Xu Liang and He Huchen listened, and both showed disappointed looks on their faces.

The expressions of Xu Liang and the others Hong Chengchou all saw it in his eyes, Hong Chengchou turned to look at Xu Liang and He Huchen, and said with a serious face: "Xu Liang, Huchen, this official knows that the two of you are very eager to let go of the battle with the Houjin soldiers, and if you talk in your heart, this official also has this idea in his heart. However, I hope that the two of you will understand that this time we are not facing thieves and bandits in Shaanxi, but the well-trained Houjin cavalry, and the enemy has 100,000 people, and the slightest carelessness can lead to a big war between the two armies. We must understand that the command of this battle does not lie with us, but with Lord Sun Chengzong. How to fight this battle, Master Sun is scheming and has his own plans. We just need to strictly obey military orders. We must not take matters into our own hands. Remember, both! ”

Xu Liang and He Huchen saw that Hong Chengchou said solemnly, and they were awe-inspiring. Xu Liang has been idle in Yutian City for the past few days, and originally planned to take someone to quietly approach the Houjin army to take a look, but now he heard Hong Chengchou say so solemnly, think about it again. Hong Chengchou also made a lot of sense, so he secretly said that it was a pity. Put that restless mind down for a while.

Since he couldn't go out of the city, Xu Liang lost the interest of accompanying Hong Chengchou to blow the cold wind on the city tower. Standing with Hong Chengchou for a while, Xu Liang went down to the city tower under the pretext of the excuse, and wandered around the city for a while, and the scene of the rope in the city made Xu Liang even more boring, so he simply went back to his residence and hid in the house to roast the fire.

After a few days of boredom, it was the first day of the new year in a blink of an eye. Although it was in the ordinary Yutian City, the battalions in the army still purchased some New Year's goods. Couplets, paper cuts, window grilles and other things were posted in the yamen, which also gave the entire Yutian City a little New Year's atmosphere.

Zodiac Zhou's typhoid fever has been cured for the most part. Xu Liang and Huang Daozhou went to the county yamen early in the morning to pay New Year's greetings to Hong Chengchou. When they arrived at the Zhixian Yamen, they saw that Sima Qiudao and He Huchen and other generals had already arrived, and everyone sat around, eating some dried fruits and snacks, and saying congratulatory words to each other.

Xu Liang and Huang Daozhou said New Year's greetings to Hong Chengchou, who was headed by him. And he sat down with all the generals.

Hong Chengchou saw that the generals and officials in the Shaanxi army had basically arrived, so he coughed lightly, and when everyone's attention was attracted, he bowed his hand in the direction of the capital. He said in a deep voice: "Everyone, I have good news for everyone. The court has already mobilized a considerable number of troops, and it is estimated that it will not be long. will start a war against Houjin. ”

When the crowd heard this, they applauded. He Huchen said with his hands in full swing: "The court should have started a war against Houjin a long time ago. I miss the Ming Dynasty. There are many generals, but now they let the small Houjin occupy four cities. I can't take it anymore! ”

Xu Liang followed and asked, "Zhongcheng, when is the court going to do it?" ”

Hong Chengchou said: "The specific time has not been determined, according to the official's estimate, after the Lantern Festival, the court will take action." As he spoke, he looked at everyone and said in a deep voice: "So, everyone, before the court is launched, the Yutian City we are guarding is extremely important, to ensure that nothing goes wrong and buy time for the deployment of the court army." ”

"Yes! The last general will obey the orders of the adults. The generals said in unison.

When Xu Liang and the others left the Zhixian Yamen, there was a light snow in the sky.

When Xu Liang and Huang Daozhou returned to their residence and roasted charcoal fire in the house for a while, Rou'er ran in with a red face from cold, holding a handful of white snow in her hand, and said with a smile: "My lord, Lord Huang, it's snowing so hard outside!" ”

Xu Liang and Huang Daozhou were shocked when they heard this, and opened the thick curtains to look outside the house, only to see that the entire courtyard was already snow-white, and there was goose feather-like snow in the sky.

Huang Daozhou sighed with emotion: "Ruixue is a good year. ”

When Xu Liang heard this, he smiled dumbly: "Huang Taiji still occupies our Ming city, how can this snow be a mega year!" ”

When Huang Daozhou heard this, his expression was gloomy, and he looked at the snow outside the window in a daze, and did not speak for a long time.

Xu Liang said worriedly: "This snow is so heavy, tomorrow the heavy snow will close the road, but the reason to travel to and from the capital is not passable, it is estimated that the goods in the capital will not be transported to Yutian for a few days, and the grain and grass in the army should be in short supply." ”

Huang Daozhou listened, came back to his senses, and comforted Xu Liang and said: "Don't worry, adults, with our current grain and grass reserves, it is enough to last for five or six days." ”

At this time, the curtain of the door was lifted, and Tietou ran into the house with a cool breeze, he carried a brown hare in his hand, and said to Xu Liang with a smile: "Young master, look what this is!" In the evening, we can have a fresh rabbit meal. ”

Xu Liang and the others looked and saw that the hare in the hand of the iron head weighed five or six catties, and it was still a living rabbit, which was carried by the iron head in his hand, and the four feet were still struggling.

Xu Liang asked, "Where did this come from?" ”

The iron head shook off the hare proudly and said, "This is what our Tsing Yi Wei found when they were investigating outside the city. The people below were reluctant to eat it, so they specially offered it to the young master. ”

Xu Liang listened, nodded, and said, "Brothers have a heart." ”

At this time, Rou'er stepped forward, glanced at the hare in the iron head's hand, and said, "My lord, with such a heavy snow today, there will be more snow on the mountain tomorrow." In Rou'er's hometown of Zunhua, this is a good time for God-given hunting. ”

When Xu Liang heard this, his eyes lit up, and he stroked his palms and said: "Yes, it will snow tomorrow, which is just right for us to go out of the city to hunt!" And it came to pass, after these days, that the people were idle. As he spoke, he said to Tietou: "Ah Tie, you go and prepare, and tomorrow we will go out of the city to hunt." ”

When the iron head heard this, he excitedly opened the door with the rabbit and went out, and a cold wind poured in from outside the door.

Rou'er stood timidly in front of Xu Liang, and begged: "My lord, hunt tomorrow, take Rou'er with you?" ”

Xu Liang nodded Rou'er's forehead and said jokingly: "What's the matter, Rou'er can also hunt?" ”

Rou'er wrinkled Xiao Qiong's nose and said, "Rou'er has followed her grandfather into the mountains to hunt a few times, and the traps set by Rou'er are better than those set by my grandfather." ”

Xu Liang looked at Rou'er unexpectedly, nodded, and said, "Okay, then Rou'er, you will go together tomorrow." ”

Seeing this, Huang Daozhou actually rubbed his hands and asked, "My lord, Xia Guan's illness has also been cured, and Xia Guan also wants to go and see it." ”

Xu Liang glanced at him and said categorically: "We don't bring a sick number." ”

"Uh......" Zodiac Zhou was bitter.

The fluttering snow really fell for a day and a night, and on the third day of the first month of Chongzhen's third year, the snow finally became smaller. At this time, the entire Yutian City turned pure white, and the snow on the road was more than a foot thick, and the snow was knee-high when people stepped on it.

Seeing this scene, Xu Liang, Tietou, Rou'er and the other three were not depressed, but even happier. In the city, Hong Chengchou arranged for the soldiers to work hard to clear the snow on the main road of Yutian City, and to clear a road to pass.

Xu Liang took Tietou, Rou'er, and ten Tsing Yi guards, and the group quietly avoided Hong Chengchou and others, and went out of Yutian City from the north gate, and rushed to the mountains near Yutian.

On the tower of the North City Gate, the Liang military sentry officer who had been viciously warned by Xu Liang not to reveal Xu Liang's whereabouts watched Xu Liang and his party go farther and farther outside the city, gradually disappearing.

Xu Liang and the others entered a big mountain near the north of Yutian City, rested a little at the foot of the mountain, were filled with some dry food and physical strength, and the group walked along the vaguely discernible mountain road, gradually walking to the high place of the mountain.

The snow on the mountain is covered with turf and leaves, and it doesn't look very deep at first glance, but once you step on it, most of it will be up to your thighs.

Xu Liang and Tietou practiced the Great Prajna Gong, and their internal strength rose greatly, so the slightest chill naturally had no effect, and the ten Tsing Yi guards under Xu Liang were also strong in martial arts, and it was no problem to deal with the cold. On the contrary, it was the only maid Rou'er, and although she wore some thicker leather jackets, her ears and face were still red from the cold.

Seeing Rou'er struggling to follow the group, Xu Liang began to suspect that his promise to take her to hunt was a serious mistake.

Turning the corner of a mountain, Xu Liang and the others rested halfway, looking at the maid Rou'er who was leaning on the trunk of a pine tree and panting for breath, Xu Liang said helplessly: "Rou'er, if you don't go into the mountain, just wait for us here." (To be continued......)