The night was cold and cold. Outside the city, the marshal's tent. Chahan was reading a book. The tent was opened, and he suddenly came in and said, "Captain." As the commander expected, the red thief went to the east ferry and went to the north. ”

Chahan slowly put down the book, but didn't talk about it first, and asked: "The old man heard the sound of killing in the east of the city, but why?" He replied, "It was the red thief who ran into our army's patrol guards." Chahan nodded, with an unexpectedly calm look, and said, "That's expected." ”

He asked, "What was that loud noise?" ”

Just now, he was in the east of the city. He replied, "The red thief seems to have piled up gunpowder together, and I don't know how to make a big iron urn." It exploded, and the sound was very loud, like a thunderbolt. The power is not small. They put a lot of iron fragments in the iron urn, and as the gunpowder exploded, they scattered and ejected, and many soldiers were killed and wounded. ”

Chahan was interested, asked about the process in detail, gave an order, and said, "Collect the remnants of the iron urn, hand it over to the craftsman's camp, and see what it is." How to do it. ”

He waited for a while, but he didn't hear anything else to say. He quietly looked up, looked at it, and couldn't help but be stunned. I saw that Chahan didn't know when, but he picked up the book again and re-read it. Answer: When he suddenly came to see Chahan, he could not tell him what the loud noise was about.

He was stuffy in the tent, not to go, not to go, after a while, he mustered up his courage, repeated the old words, and asked: "Dashuai, the red thief is going north." Our? ”

"Do you need to ask? Act on the meter. Chahan didn't raise his head, but waved his hand slightly. I don't know what book he's reading, so fascinated! Answer: Suddenly, he knew two words, and with the help of candlelight, he saw that it was a history book. More than ten years ago, the "History of the Song Dynasty" was completed by Toto, Taiping, Ouyang Xuan and others.

Answer: I know that before Chahan started the army, he was also a Confucian student, and he also took the Jinshi exam. Throwing a pen to join the army, although he is handsome, he has always been handy. My favorite book to read is this "History of the Song Dynasty". often praises those close to him: "There is a Song generation, and the romance is superb." "I yearn for the elegance of the former Song Dynasty. At that moment, he didn't dare to disturb, held his breath, and quietly retreated.

Read at night in the tent of Chahan, and inspect the head of the city of Dengshe.

In the past few days, Hong Jixun has slept less, and he has slept less. The weather turned cold, and some people contracted wind chill. The ministers were all there just now, but he remained silent and barely held on. At this time, there were cronies left and right, and he covered his mouth and coughed a few times. Immediately it was scattered by the wind at the head of the city.

The north wind howled, rolling red flags.

Ji Zongzhou trotted two steps to catch up with Deng She, and while looking at Deng She's complexion worriedly, he said thoughtfully: "Lord." The wind in the city is really not small. The chill pushes the nail cold. Why don't you go back first? Inspect the affairs of the guards and leave them to General Li and his subordinates. If there is a change in the Yuan army, it is not too late for you to come to command again. ”

Deng She smiled slightly and said, "I have been in the army since I was a child, what is this bit of wind and cold?" In Liaodong that year, he turned to fight outside the Saiwai. That's when the weather is called cold. In the middle of the night, I stretched out my hand outside the tent and could freeze my fingers! He covered his mouth again and coughed a few times.

Monk Li also persuaded and said, "Lord, please go back first." It's enough to have the last generals here. Even if the Tartar has thousands of troops and horses, and General Fei comes from the sky, I dare to assure you that I will never let him enter our city for half a step! Pointing to the soldiers defending the city, "They are all veterans of a hundred battles, the lord can rest assured!" ”

Deng She said: "I'm not uneasy. On such a cold night, I know the cold, and the soldiers know the cold as well. Take a look at it to boost morale. ”

Before the words fell, in the north of the city, suddenly, another loud bang came. The night was quiet, and the loud noise came without warning. If the last loud noise was that the city seemed to shake, this time the city wall really shook. A loud bang was followed by another bang, and it was endless, as if the embankment had burst, and it seemed that the angry tide was crashing on the shore. It was like a landslide and the ground cracked, just like the Milky Way pouring in.

The people at the head of the city looked at each other.

The soldiers who had been sitting on the edge of the battlement stood up one after another. Some were holding guns, some were holding down the wall, thousands of people, and their eyes turned to the north of the city at the same time. Although the night was dark, I also saw the huge waves rising and falling. The water of the wave, mixed with the wind, blew from afar, and many people felt a chill on their faces. Ji Zongzhou was shocked and said, "It's not good! It was the Yuan army that broke the embankment! ”

Monk Li said: "Broke the embankment? South*? ”

"No, it will be the north."

"Why?"

"North*, that is, the ancient water. There is an old proverb: the water is not icy, and the thin horse does not cross. Although it is now winter, there is still ice in the south* section of the river, but there is no ice in the north* at all. Where it is shallow and narrow, even if it is not wide, a thin horse cannot cross it. It can be seen that the water is warm and deep.

"Moreover, the south* is closer to our city, and our army can see it from the city. However, the north* is far away, and can be seen far away during the day, but difficult to see at night. Even if we have the army outside the city in the north, we can't see it. If the Yuan army does something on this river, it is difficult for us to know. If the minister's expectations are not bad, this loud noise must be the sound of the Yuan army digging embankments and releasing water. ”

Monk Li went to see Deng She and asked, "Lord, what should I do?" ”

Deng She's mind was racing. He was already prepared for the possibility that the Yuan army might dig rivers and irrigate the city. The army deployed in the north of the city is for this reason, and it is always on guard. Moreover, he had dug a lot of new water dredging channels on both sides of the south* and north* before he arrived. Since he was so cautious, of course he would not be unprepared against the flooding of the Seventh Army that the army might encounter after leaving the city. The marching routes chosen for Xu Jizu and Guo Conglong were all far away from the places where the river was turbulent.

He smiled: "Guan Yunchang flooded the Seventh Army. Chahan old horseman, do you want to learn too? I expected this move. Everyone, don't worry. The so-called 'targeted'. With 'of', we can 'target'. Xu Pingzhang and Conglong took a route that was not close to the water's edge. He has a monstrous flood, what does it matter to us? ”

He was categorical, came to a conclusion, and said: "I expect that the old horseman's move is nothing more than a blow to the morale of our army. The actual effect will not be played at all. It's useless to think too much. And wait for tomorrow, send a garrison to the north of the city to go to the north* to investigate, and the details will naturally be clear. ”

Deng She's confident attitude infected the army at the head of the city. And in fact, is he really as confident as he appears to be? Nobody knows. All they could see was that he continued to inspect the city without haste. It took more than an hour before he slowly walked down the city and returned home.

Before he could sit down in the mansion, he urgently ordered Hong Jixun to come.

The stars are moving, and the lights in the palace are bright. Hong Jixun hurried to arrive, and Deng She stood side by side with him in front of the map, pointing out and analyzing. On the street outside the house, the patrol man beat the drum of the fourth watch. The north wind wreaked havoc in the city, whirling and throwing fallen leaves and dust. The clouds gradually deepened, obscuring the waning moon. Late night silence. Little by little, the clock is ticking, and dawn is coming.

On the castle tower.

Monk Li climbed high and looked into the distance. Although he didn't sleep all night, he was in good spirits, pressing the knife in one hand and holding the pocket in the other, followed by seven or eight pro-soldiers, all bareheaded, looking from a distance, it was not a landscape. The cold wind swept their cloaks and rattled. They had been standing for a long time, and a few of the soldiers felt numb in their legs and feet, their cheeks were red from the cold, and their noses were long. But Monk Li was like a nail, and he didn't move. A night bird flew over the tower, and Monk Li rubbed his eyes and asked, "Look, what is that?" ”

The soldiers followed his line of sight and looked to the east of the city.

The earlier huge waves had subsided, and the huge waves were originally in the north of the city, and the camp to the east of the Yuan army was originally very quiet. But at this moment, it was like a small pebble suddenly thrown into it, causing layers of ripples. The ripples then expanded, like another wave, and in a moment, the whole east was stirred into flames, and people shouted and neighed, and they became a mess.

"What's going on?" The soldiers looked at each other. Someone thought of a bad thought and exclaimed, "Oh, isn't it? Monk Li grabbed the hood, turned around and left, didn't take two steps, stopped again, turned his head to look east, and said in a deep voice: "Go to the palace quickly, report to the lord and the princess!" ”

"How?"

"The Yuan army camp in the east of the city was in chaos, as if our army could not break through, and returned to the city again."

The riots of the Yuan army in the east of the city, not long after, expanded into turmoil. With the help of the sky-high fire in their camp, they saw a military horse in the distance, waving a big banner, like a tiger descending the mountain, and like an evil dragon going out to sea, under the leadership of a general, galloping eastward and west, going through the siege, and going straight to the city to kill. After a short period of panic, the Yuan army organized a cavalry of three or two hundred men to follow and pursue.

The night was dark, and although there were torches on the top of the city, it could not shine outside the city. The moat flows quietly. The horses fought and walked, and ran to the river. Chaotic voices reached the city, and it was they who shouted, "Lower the drawbridge!" The gates of the city were opened. ”

There are strict rules in the law of defending the city in the army, and without the order of the commander-in-chief, no matter what the situation, the city gate is absolutely forbidden to be opened. The soldiers defending the city were helpless. There are smart ones, and they are all the same as Monk Li and his personal soldiers, and they have already guessed that this military horse may be the cavalry led by Xu Jizu and Guo Conglong to break through. Moreover, the big banner erected at the forefront of this Biao military horse seems to prove that this inference is correct, and it reads: Haidong Guo Conglong. Bloodstained and tattered. I don't know how many brutal battles they have gone through in this short midnight.

The moat and the gate are all institutionalized and can be opened at the head of the city. The two hundred households guarding the agency don't know what to do. Hearing the sound of footsteps, Monk Li strode over.

"General?"

Monk Li held down the battlements of the city wall and ordered the torches to be lit on the left and right. Ying Ying saw that there were about three or four hundred people in the Biao army and horses, and as far as the visible part of the line of sight was wearing Haidong armor. The armor was covered with blood, and several of them were gone, so they sat in twos and twos. Looking at their faces again, they were also stained with blood, and they couldn't see their appearance clearly, only a pair of eyes, full of exhaustion and hope when they saw hope. They shouted: "We are General Guo's headquarters, don't open the city gate soon!" ”

The cavalry of the three or two hundred yuan army that pursued them bit very tightly. The defeated pawn in front called the city, and the back fought and shook the sky.

"Please General Guo come out and answer."

"General Guo is behind the enemy!"

The two hundred households guarding the agency said to Monk Li: "General, it seems to be true. All they wore were my Haidong armor. General Guo's banner is also here. The Tartars chased after him, and you listened to the shouts of killing, and the fighting between them was real. Why don't we open the gates? ”

"Ben has sent someone to ask the lord. If the lord does not give an order, the city gate must not be opened! Monk Li shouted to the city again, "The two armies are facing each other, how can they hear a word and open the city gate?" Do you know anyone? Please come forward and answer. ”

The defeated soldiers parted the way, and someone shouted: "General Guo is here!" "One will gallop up from behind. Four or five horsemen lit torches, reflecting his face, although it was far away, the light was not bright, and he couldn't see it clearly, but it was Guo Conglong. With a long horse and a spear, and a bow and a bag, he shouted: "General Li, I Guo Conglongye!" ”

"The lord ordered you to go out of the city, why did you turn back?"

"Tartar cunning! Put the north *. Our army was caught off guard and was flooded. Thousands of horsemen remain, only a few hundred remain. The breakthrough failed, so he had to return to the city. General Li, why don't you open the city gate soon? Guo Conglong looked back, and the spear also pointed back, shouting, "The Tartar army is coming soon, and if you don't open the door, even these hundreds of people will not be able to save it!" ”

"Where's the Continuation of the Ping Chapter?"

"Dead in battle."

Monk Li stared intently, it was too far away, and he really couldn't see Guo Conglong clearly, he asked suspiciously: "How did your voice become so hoarse?" Guo Conglong shouted: "Shout to kill all night!" How can you not be dumb? General Li, what else are you rubbing? Hundreds of robes, blood sea corpses have killed the Tartar camp in the mountains, and it is easy to come back to the city, and you will watch them die in front of you? ”

"General Guo also knows military law. Without the Lord's decree, it is difficult to open the gates of the city. ”

"Monk Li! You....... Guo Conglong was so angry that he didn't spit out a mouthful of blood, he seemed to want to scold a few words, but he held back, and said, "In this way, go and invite the lord to come." He turned his horse and ran to the place where he was fighting, and before he could get close, a cold arrow came and hit him in the chest, and he screamed and fell under his horse. The defeated army shouted, fought forward, and snatched him back. One hundred and ten people shouted in unison: "General Guo is wounded!" Hundreds of households in the city were frightened and asked Monk Li, "General? ”

"How?"

"General Guo is the lord's favorite general. If you die in battle. You are afraid that you will not be able to escape the charge of not being saved. It is also inevitable to die. Have you opened the gates? ”

Monk Li clenched his fists. With a miscellaneous card who was not born in the horse thief system, he can now gain the trust of Deng She and become a descendant. It is not by his outstanding strategy, but by his loyalty and daring to die. He knew that his status in Deng She's mind was far from being able to reach a rookie like Guo Conglong.

If Guo Conglong really died under the city, Deng She might not be guilty of killing him because of this, after all, he was strictly abiding by the military law of defending the city, and he was not at fault in detail. However, it is inevitable that it will be like that Lu Qianxi. If you want to go further in the future, I am afraid it will be even more difficult.

- Because of Lu Qianxi, Zuo Che'er was killed. Since then, Lu Qianxi has never had the opportunity to get a heavy responsibility, which is equivalent to being beaten into the cold palace. Although he is still the chief general of the Duliao Army, one of the Five Yaya, there are rumors in the army that Deng She will transfer him sooner or later.

That's it, Lu Qianxi is still an old man who gets on the horse, and his friendships are all over the army. has an elder brother, Lu Qianwu, who is in control of the Shenji Battalion. It can't be said that it is not powerful. However, the companion is like a tiger, once it arouses Deng She's dissatisfaction, the result is like this. What's more, he is Monk Li? He definitely didn't want to end up like this.

Monk Li had to wait for Deng She's insistence, but he changed slightly and hesitated.

The brigade of the Yuan army had already appeared outside the city. Many of the defeated soldiers who called the city in front of them fell off their horses and knelt on the ground begging. There are those who weep out of despair. Many people held Guo Conglong's body and shouted wildly. Guo Conglong closed his eyes tightly, the arrow was stuck in his chest, and he didn't move, not knowing whether he was dead or alive.

The defeated soldiers all said: "Since the villain has been in the army, this life will be sold to His Royal Highness King Yan." Although I am surrounded by the enemy today, I have fallen into the treacherous tricks of the Tartars, and it is not a pity to die! However, General Guo is the pillar of our Haidong, and his reputation for courage and majesty resounded throughout the enemy country. How can you die in the city? How can you die in front of your family? General Lee! Open the gates of the city. ”

Monk Li was silent and said: "There are pursuers behind you, and if the city gate is opened, the Tartars will inevitably take the opportunity to seize the city." ”

There were a few junior colonels among the defeated soldiers, who jumped up with their heads held high and shouted: "We know all about General Li's difficulties. But please open the city gate and send General Guo into the city. The chasing soldiers of the Tartars behind have their own villains to fight and intercept. Even if they all die in battle, they will never let the Tartars cross the moat for half a step! Is this possible? ”

I really didn't expect that Guo Conglong would win the heart of a soldier, and he would be so good! The soldiers would rather die themselves than send him into the city. Monk Li was moved and said, "Although the city gate is difficult to open, for the sake of your faithful Savior, you will be able to put down the hanging basket." Pulled General Guo to the city. ”

"How do you cross the river if you don't let go of the moat?"

"Swim here."

"General Guo is seriously injured, how can he see the water? Please lower the drawbridge too! And pull up the hanging basket and hang it in the air, the army of Tartars is coming, and there are quite a few condor shooters among them, what if you are lucky enough to hit the rope and fall? General Lee! In any case, please open the gates. The defeated soldiers insisted on asking Monk Li to open the city gate.

The two hundred households guarding the agency saw that the blood flowing from Guo's wound on the dragon's chest had almost stained half of his armor red. They had no master and said, "General." The defeated protector is earnest, and what he said makes sense. Although the Tartar army is coming, with them blocking it, there will be no danger for a while. Obey them! ”

One of Monk Li's personal soldiers hurriedly caught up with the city, ran to his side, and whispered a few words. Monk Li said: "Order! Pull up the drawbridge and open the city gates. Outside the city gate, the defeated soldiers were all happy and thunderous.