The Lion King and the National Teacher have been old friends for many years, and they share the same heart and mind. Just look at each other without talking, and each can understand the special meaning in each other's eyes.

After a long time, Shi Rui first broke the silence: "Do you want me to drive the expedition in person?" ”

He knew that this could only be said by himself.

A helpless wry smile appeared on Wu Kuang's face, and he lowered his head evasively.

The Leons are not without good commanders, but the specific leader is responsible for combat and the supervision of the area are two different things. The former does not need to think more, as long as he leads the army and concentrates on the war. The latter is different, which means all-round multi-link control and management of the entire combat area and even the supply of military supplies. To paraphrase the official position of the ancient civilization, it is the governor.

Traditionally, such positions can only be held by members of the royal family. On the one hand, for the sake of the war itself, logistics and other issues were stripped out and handed over to the governor. On the other hand, it is to ensure the purity of military supervision, minimize the commander's control over the army, and minimize the possibility of rebellion.

Shi Rui held a cup containing half of the tea, kept turning it around in his hand, and asked lightly: "Do you think I will leave Roaring City now to supervise the war in the north...... Is it appropriate? ”

"There are two ways to look at things." Wu Guo did not hide his thoughts: "Flying Eagle City now belongs to the Dragon Clan. I'll admit that we're oversimplifying things when it comes to supporting the Eagle Clan, but it's not your Majesty's fault. You muster your army at the first time, but you can't reach the necessary number. Speaking of which, the Eagle Clan itself has its own problems, either the combat effectiveness is not as strong as we imagined, or the Eagle Chongshan is not capable of command...... In short, all this is over, and the Eagle Clan has become a piece of fat swallowed by the Dragons. They need time to digest, and in a short time, at least three months, or half a year, the dragons will not send troops again. ”

Shi Rui's nervous mood eased slightly, and Wu Qian's words coincided with his previous speculation. The Lion King put the cup back on the table, and his lowered eyes revealed thought: "...... The east side is safe. ”

Wu Guan moved his chair forward a little and looked serious: "So I think that only Your Majesty, you can solve the problem of the northern border." It's not that we don't have an army, it's not that we can't fight, as long as the soldiers feel secure in terms of tokens, they will still be as loyal to Your Majesty and the clan as they were before. ”

These words had been held back in his heart for a long time, if he hadn't taken advantage of the opportunity now, he wouldn't have dared to say them so bluntly in front of Shi Rui.

Tokens are the reverse scales in the heart of the lion king. During this time, a number of officials have written on the issue of tokens, asking the lion king to open up the exchange of gold and silver, and invest a lot of resources in the market...... The two officials led by the lion king were ordered to be executed in public, their homes were raided, and the rest were all removed from their posts and exiled.

Shi Rui raised his eyelids, his dark black eyes were cold, and he had the majesty of a king: "I didn't expect you to say the same." Exchange for gold and silver...... Do you think this will solve the problem? ”

"At least part of it can be solved." Wu said sincerely: "For us, the Eagle Clan is a lesson. If...... I mean, if I had been in the Eagle Mountain, I would have opened the warehouse and rewarded the army with everything I had to boost morale. Your Majesty, you only have a chance if you are alive. What the soldiers really want is not gold and silver, as long as they are convinced that the tokens are still valuable, they can ......"

"Enough! I don't want to hear that. Shi Rui waved his hand irritably, and although he was very unhappy, he did not attack on the spot: "The Eagle Clan has been defeated, and we must take new countermeasures." Roaring City is the capital, and I can't leave it easily. In this way, you are solely responsible for the problems in the north, and you can't let them cross Donglin City. ”

Wu Guan sighed in his heart, got up from his chair, and bowed: "Obey." ”

The current lion king is no longer the Shi Rui of his youth.

He became suspicious, wary of everything around him, and very greedy.

He's old after all.

……

South of Suolong Pass, the northwest periphery of Shenwei Fortress.

Yacheng squatted on the ground, holding a short-handled shovel in his hand, pried the clods and gravel vigorously, held it with both hands, and put it into a bag made of hemp rattan next to him.

The use of hemp rattan is not only for basket weaving and rope rubbing. They are picked from the mountains, stoned, finely milled, and washed in streams to remove the sticky and juicy parts of them, and the remaining fibers are dried and used for weaving. Of course, this is not coarse linen in the true sense of the word, but a substitute with similar properties.

Nineteen-year-old Yacheng is very lean, there is no fat on his body, and the surface of his copper-black skin oozes sweat, reflecting a layer of oil-like luster. The block-like muscles are distributed along the arms and chest, and there is not a trace of excess fat on the body. This figure, which was enviable in civilized times, is a common phenomenon today, and burly men are equated with "poor ghosts" and "commoners". The fat figure is enviable, and the reason why the aristocracy is concerned by countless commoners is because many nobles have a small belly that bulges high.

Lao Wei, who was squatting next to him, tied the mouth of the sack tightly with a rope. There are three horses next to it, two of which have a dirt bag on their backs.

The captain was a middle-aged man in his forties, and he kept urging Yacheng and Lao Wei, who were busy: "Hurry up, it's not safe here, let's hurry up and finish it and go back." ”

This is a scout team of three people, subordinate to the Lock Dragon Pass.

After the end of the last war, the southern whites completely disappeared outside the pass and retreated to the south of the fortress of Shenwei. According to previous experience, when the North and the South are in a period of suspension of war, the situation also becomes calm. Neither the northern barbarians nor the southern whites will send out a large army, but will test each other with small scouts to gather intelligence.

The young people are very obedient, not to mention that the captain is experienced and takes good care of Yacheng.

Lao Wei held a short rope prepared in advance in his mouth, he supported the sack full of earth and stones with his knees, and motioned to Yacheng to help him close the mouth of the bag, and then took off the rope in his mouth, skillfully circled the mouth of the bag, and tied it tightly.

"I said, 'Why do you want us to collect all this dirt and stones?' The twenty-something old Wei looked older than his actual age, because the skin had become rough due to the wind and sun all year round. He stood up, grabbed the slightly loose trouser belt with both hands and tightened it, and asked incomprehensibly: "Captain, we have run several places during this time, and each time we dig a few bags of stones back, and they don't tell us why." ”

Yacheng chimed in beside him: "Yes, we have never done such a thing when we came out before. I heard from my brothers in the other squads that they were given the same order as we did, that when they returned, they had to collect clods and stones on the spot, saying that they were to be used from above. ”

"I don't understand what these stones are for?" Lao Wei seemed to be singing and harmonizing with Yacheng, but in fact, he was just complaining: "It's not easy for us to go out, it's best to bring some extra benefits and go back." But we have to do this...... Tut-tut...... Captain, you have to talk to the above, forget it this time, let's change the rules in the future! ”

Lao Wei did have a reason to complain.

Yesterday I encountered a white scout team, also three of them. Because it was discovered early, the captain took Yacheng and Lao Wei to attack the other party's camp in the middle of the night and cut off the heads of three white dwarfs.

The white man's horse, though small, was a good trophy. It's a pity that Lao Wei didn't pay attention to his feet when he was leading the horse, and he tripped and fell on the corpse of the deceased, and the reins that were twisted together were suddenly released, and the three ponies broke free on the spot and turned around and ran south. Because it was dangerous to get dark, the captain called out to Lao Wei and didn't let him chase him.

This means that the income is more than half less. Lao Wei cursed all night, and he could only hit the three white unlucky people with his idea, but because the weight of the horses was insufficient, the captain was not allowed to take all the corpses, so Lao Wei had to pull out the dagger and cut off large pieces of flesh from the arms and legs of the deceased.

The weight is to be left for these sacks full of stones. Just rely on people to carry it, and when you walk back to the Lock Dragon Pass, I am afraid that you will be exhausted to death.

"Where is all this nonsense? This is the order from above, let you do it honestly, and there will definitely be a reward for doing it well. The captain kicked Lao Wei in the ass, but Lao Wei didn't dodge. He knew that the captain had no ill intentions, and more importantly, this action meant that the captain did not regard himself as an outsider.

"Well, I know these stones are important, more important than my favorite meat......" Although there was no direct objection, Lao Wei kept babbling. He also saw it, since he couldn't get it, don't force it, or take the completion of the task as the primary premise.

The captain glanced at him as usual, and casually ordered: "There is the Kamui Fortress in front, you can't go any further." Let's go back now, hand over the stones, and rest for a few days. ”

Ah Cheng is a young man who later joins the scout team, and he generally does not get involved in the topics between the captain and Lao Wei. But this time was special, he endured it for a while, and when he stepped on the stirrup and was about to get on the horse, he still opened his mouth and smiled: "I want to have a good meal when I go back this time." ”

Sleeping outside for a long time, the demand for food far exceeds other aspects. Lao Wei tied the sack tightly with a leather rope and asked with interest, "What do you want to eat?" ”

"Braised pork!" Yacheng said very seriously: "The dragon people opened a braised meat shop under the pass, and it is said that no matter what kind of meat can be made delicious. I ate the braised pork they made once, and the taste was amazing, and it was full of oil in my mouth, and it was fragrant......"

"Wait, you just said braised pork, how did you get braised pork?" Lao Wei likes to compete on the side details and get to the bottom of it.

"This ......" Yacheng scratched his head rather in annoyance, and gave an uncertain explanation according to his own understanding: "Maybe, probably, probably...... Braised pork is also a type of braised pork, right? ”

Looking at the two subordinates who were discussing the food, the captain smiled and did not participate. He turned over and got on the horse, and subconsciously touched the leather whip that was slanted into his waist with his right hand, urging: "Didn't you two guys just say that you want to go back early?" If you have anything to say, leave it on the road and say it, don't like a girl procrastinating......"

"Bang!"

There was a dull sound of gunfire in the distance, and Yacheng saw the captain's burly body shake for a moment, lose control and fall from the horse's back, falling like a heavy stone, curling up on the ground and twisting.

He was hit in the neck by a bullet that shot diagonally from his chin to the back of his neck, creating a terrifying passage of flesh. White bone fragments mixed with bright red minced meat splashed on Yacheng's body, as if he was frozen by magic, he kept his left foot on the stirrup, and his hands tightened the reins to prepare to turn over on the horse, his mind was blank, and he didn't know what to do.

"It's a white dwarf!" Lao Wei shouted hoarsely from the side, and Yacheng immediately felt a sharp push on his shoulder, and a force supported his ass and lifted himself directly onto the horse: "Let's go!" Hurry up, it's too late if you don't go! ”

Yacheng woke up from his ignorance, his heart was beating violently, all his nerves were tense, he held the reins with both hands, instinctively lowered his body, lay on the horse's back, and pulled the reins from the side to guide the horse to turn around.

Again a dull sound of gunfire could be heard in the distance. This time, Yacheng heard it more clearly than the last time, it was a white arquebus, finely made, not many in number, specially equipped for officers and special soldiers. The northern barbarians do not have the word "sniper", but they have the saying "excellent archer". In Yacheng's opinion, the two are almost identical, and the difference is in the weapons they use.

He lay on his horse's back and gasped, fear choking his heart like a claw, he knew that the captain was hopeless, and he was killed with one shot. Being able to inflict this level of damage shows that the white shooter is very close, and the arquebus can only play an example of how good enough it can be.

The war horse under the crotch began to run, and Yacheng lay on the horse's back and didn't dare to raise his head at all. Lao Wei is a veteran after all, his movements are faster than him, his feet are clamped on the horse's belly, and his right hand whips towards the back buttocks of the war horse. Lao Wei was shot four times in a row, and a large patch of blood almost immediately stained his entire back, and the bullet that penetrated from his left abdomen almost completely tore the muscles there. Yacheng saw Lao Wei shake up the moment he was shot, and then screamed and leaned back, completely losing control of the horse and falling down.

The war horse ran extremely fast, and Yacheng, who had fallen into a stagnation in his thinking, looked down at Lao Wei who was flying under the hooves of the war horse. His face was covered with blood, and his open mouth was full of blood foam, judging from his open lips and the shape of his mouth, he was saying two silent words.

Come on!

Yacheng could still hear the sound of gunfire behind him, and could even feel the change in the airflow caused by the bullets flying overhead. He didn't dare to hesitate for a second, pulled out the short knife on his back waist with his backhand, controlled the strength and scale, and stabbed the side of the horse's back with a trembling.

Only when the pain is felt will the horse run faster.

The whites are here again!

Yacheng firmly fixed in his mind the scene when he got on the horse, his eyes glanced in the direction of the south.