It rained lightly for a day and a night.

There was silence in the Ming army camp. The commander-in-chief, He Huchen, did not order the battalions to prepare for the attack, nor did he summon several generals to the tent to discuss the matter. It was quiet in Hutou Pass, and Xu Liang felt more and more uneasy.

He paid attention to the situation of the horses in the camp of the Ming army, and found that He Huchen did not take his exhortation the night before as a thing at all, and the horses always patrolled within ten miles of the camp of the Ming army.

Xu Liang was patrolling the camp with Xing Zhongshan, and saw Luo Rucai, the vanguard officer of the Liang army, walking hurriedly with a panicked expression.

"My lord, General Xing, something happened." Luo Rucai said.

"What's wrong?" Xu Liang and Xing Zhongshan asked almost at the same time.

Luo Rucai said: "The four groups of probe horses sent out the night before yesterday have only returned safely as of this morning, and the other three groups have not returned. ”

Xing Zhongshan said disapprerovingly: "Could it be that Tanma has something to do?" Luo Rucai shook his head and said, "Unlikely!" The horses I sent out were all veterans of long-term training, and I had requested before I set out that the survey area should be limited to a radius of fifty miles, and that from the night before yesterday to today, there would be enough time for them to run a few round-trips. These three groups of people did not come back, which can only mean that something happened to them and they will never come back. ”

Xu Liang realized the severity of the matter and asked, "Did those probes who came back find anything abnormal?" ”

Luo Rucai said: "According to the report of the exploration horse, at the foot of Wudu Mountain, there are signs of the march of the army. In terms of the size of the march, it is estimated that there were as many as 30,000 or 40,000 men. ”

Xu Liang's heart tightened, and Zhengse asked, "Where is the direction of that army?" ”

"Follow the foot of Wudu Mountain all the way to the north."

Xu Liang turned around and walked towards the big tent of the Liang army, and Xing Zhongshan and Luo Rucai followed closely.

Xu Liang said to the guards in the tent: "Take the march map." ”

Unfold the march map on the table. Xu Liang quickly found the location of Wudu Mountain on the map. Wudu Mountain is about fifty miles north of Hutou Pass, and it is the only way from Fengxiang Mansion to Hanzhong. At the same time, it was also the route for the Ming army to transport grain and grass.

"Grain Road!" Xu Liang, Xing Zhongshan, and Luo Rucai stared at the location of Wudu Mountain on the map for a while. shouted in unison.

The grain and grass of the Liang army were carried with the army, and they were escorted by a special group army and a grain carriage to move with the Liang army. After the Ming army entered the territory of Hanzhong Mansion, it has been provided by the grain protection team from Fengxiang Mansion to the army, and the road taken by the grain team is to pass through the foot of Wudu Mountain.

Xu Liang thought of Luo Rucai again and said that the exploration horses sent out from the four directions of the southeast, south, and northwest only came back. It was the group sent to the north to investigate, and although the men returned, they found signs of the movement of a large army.

In the other three directions, even men and horses died outside. Doesn't it mean that there are also large armies in ambush in the other three directions?

When Xu Liang thought of this, his face changed, and he hurriedly said to Luo Rucai: "General Luo, immediately send out all the exploration horses, and you must find out who there are around!" ”

"Yes!" Luo Rucai responded. Hurriedly lifted the curtain and walked out. Then he was heard shouting and summoning the horses.

Xu Liang turned to look at Xing Zhongshan and said in a deep voice: "Immediately send an order to the whole army and pack up." Always ready to run away! ”

Xing Zhongshan nodded.

Xu Liang felt that he had to tell Sù He Huchen and others about the situation. When I came to the Ming military camp, I met Wang En, the general soldier of Ningxia who had just come out of the camp of the wounded soldiers.

Although Xu Liang once had doubts about Wang Zongbing's combat ability, compared to He Huchen and He Renlong, the two nostrils were facing the sky. A person with empty eyes, Wang Zongbing, who looks like a smile all day long, is undoubtedly a person who is easier to deal with.

Xu Liang saw him. His face was instantly filled with smiles, and he smiled and said, "General Wang personally condolences to the injured soldiers." The heart of boxing and loving soldiers is really touching. ”

Wang En saw Xu Liang's kind and familiar smile, he was slightly surprised, and secretly said that this Lord Xu has changed his temperament today, and he will smile when he meets?

The so-called stretching out his hand and not hitting the smiling person, although Wang Zongbing didn't figure out why Xu Liang had this attitude, in the face of Xu Liang's inquiry, Wang Zongbing's old face turned red, and he waved his hand and said embarrassedly: "Lord Xu has won the award, and Wang is also idle and walks around." ”

Xu Liang then smiled and said: "General Soldier Wang is too modest, he can walk to the wounded soldier's camp wherever he goes, if he is specially condoled, wouldn't he have to lie on the bed of the wounded soldier?" ”

"Huh?" Wang Zongbing wanted to continue to be humble, but suddenly heard Xu Liang's words clearly, and couldn't help but smirk awkwardly.

Walking into the camp of the wounded soldier can naturally be to visit and comfort the wounded soldier, but lying on the bed of the wounded soldier can only be seriously injured. Mr. Wang slandered, Xu Liang said so, don't you want to curse General Ben?

"Just kidding, just kidding! Wang Zongbing, don't be surprised. Fortunately, Xu Liang saw that Wang Zongbing's face had changed, and immediately corrected it.

Xu Liang said that it was a joke, and Wang Zongbing was not angry. smiled awkwardly and walked with Xu Liang one after the other.

Xu Liang talked about some miscellaneous matters, and asked General Soldier Wang unintentionally: "General Wang, our army has been stopped in front of Hutou Pass for several days, and General Soldier He has no conclusion whether to fight or leave. My Liang army originally didn't have much grain and grass with the army, and if it continues like this, my Liang army will run out of food and drink the northwest wind. Uh, General Wang, do you have enough grain and grass in your camp? Can you, that, hehe, give me some even, and after returning to Pingliang in the future, Xu will return it twice. ”

Wang Zongbing did not have him, listened to Xu Liang's words, and said with an embarrassed expression: "Lord Xu, although I am bringing Ningxia soldiers, Lord Xu is bringing Liang Army, the names are different, but they are all the troops of our Ming Dynasty!" If it is an ordinary time, as long as there is food in my camp, it will be better to give it to the Liang Jun brothers in case of emergency! It's just that now there is not much grain and grass in my camp, and I can last two days at most! As he spoke, Mr. Wang scolded some people with an indignant face: "Dog's day food delivery officer, if we don't bring grain over, we will be starved to death!" At that time, Mo said that he would recover Hanzhong, and he would be thankful that he could leave the strength to walk back to Ningxia. ”

Xu Liang asked in surprise: "What, has the grain delivery officer not delivered grain for a long time?" ”

Wang Zongbing waved his hand angrily and cursed: "I haven't received grain and grass in my camp for three days!" Hey, the ghost only knows what the hell these officials who send grain have come up with, those who kill are all fat like the rats in the rice warehouse, eat and take cards, have thick skin and black hearts, and every time they fight in previous years, they can't send grain over on time! It's only hateful that these killings are not under my control, otherwise I would have to drag them all out and cut them down!" ”

Wang Zongbing cursed angrily, suddenly came to his senses, and asked Xu Liang: "Eh, why did Lord Xu come here in such a hurry?" ”

Xu Liang listened to Mr. Wang's remarks to the grain delivery officer, and his feelings for Mr. Wang suddenly improved a lot, and even looked at Mr. Wang's old face that was always smiling and grinning. Xu Liang said: "The scouts in this official army found something bad outside, and they were about to report to General He. ”

When Wang Zongbing heard this, he smiled and said, "Coincidentally, I also want to go to He Zongbing to ask for grain and grass." I go with you. ”

The two came to the big tent of the Ming Army, and saw that He Zongbing was wearing a cotton robe, sitting behind the bookcase, holding the scroll book in his hand and reading it intently.

Seeing this, Xu Liang scolded and said: When is this, you are still pretending to be deep!

When He Huchen saw Xu Liang and Wang En arriving together, he was slightly stunned, reluctantly put down the military book, looked at Xu Liang and said, "Lord Xu is here again?" ”

Why use it? Wang Zongbing looked at Xu Liang suspiciously.

Xu Liang took two steps forward, clasped his fists, and said to He Huchen in a deep voice: "General He, the rebel army is full of weirdness at the moment, for the sake of safety, I also ask General He to send more manpower to quickly investigate the situation of the surrounding rebel army." ”

He Huchen listened to Xu Liang talking about the matter of sending a scout horse again, his expression was displeased, his face sank, he lowered his eyelids and said coldly: "Lord Xu, you are a civil official, and you are naturally an expert in dancing and writing, but you don't understand the practice of our military attachés marching and fighting. As the commander of the march, General Ben himself was also an official of the Yansui Army, and he experienced no less than 100 battles large and small. How to set up camp, how to set up a village, how to attack, how to defend, how to spy on the military situation, General Ben has already made a decision in his heart, so Lord Xu doesn't have to worry too much! ”

He Huchen is still proud of this empty eye! Xu Liang sighed secretly, endured the anger in his heart, and his tone turned cold, and said: "General He is a famous general in the dynasty, how to march and fight, this official is only shallow in learning, so naturally he doesn't dare to say more." This official is here just to tell General Sù He one thing, the night before yesterday, our Liang army sent four horses out of the camp, and so far only one has returned safely! And this group of probes also brought back extremely unfavorable news. ”

Xu Liang faced the north, didn't look at He Huchen, and said coldly: "At the foot of Wudu Mountain, more than fifty miles north of Hutou Pass, there are traces of an army of thirty or forty thousand people!" This official is all he says, what does this news represent, General He has his own judgment and takes his leave! With that, Xu Liang turned around and strode away outside the tent.

He Huchen watched Xu Liang leave in disbelief and was stunned for a long time. At this time, seeing the Ningxia general soldier Wang Enshang pestle in the center of the tent, he couldn't help asking: "Wang General soldier is coming, there is something wrong?" ”

General Wang was still surprised by the news that Xu Liang said in person, and when he heard He Huchen's inquiry, he arched his hand and said: "General He, the last general came here to ask the general to allocate some grain and grass to me, and my camp has not received grain and grass for three days. (To be continued......)