In mid-March, the second prince, who failed to do so, couldn't hold back and joined forces with Yuwenqiao to launch the first attack. Under the leadership of Shen Zhiyan's layout, Liu Bin, the general of the Great Liang, bravely met the enemy, repelled the enemy army, and lost the first battle of the Northern Night Kingdom.

At the same time, Shen Zhizhang received feedback from Gao Xun, Duan Lanting's letter address was his parents-in-law's house, and the recipient was his wife Zhen. Zheng Wenke and Zhu Dongxu also wrote to the capital, informing them that there was no change in the capital for the time being. Zhu Dongxu wrote another letter, reminding Shen Zhizhang that Yuwenqiao is cunning and treacherous, and he must be more careful.

Ten days after the truce, the second prince threatened the emperor again, but the emperor ignored him. The Northern Night Kingdom then launched a second round of attack, which lasted two days and caused heavy casualties on both sides. Fortunately, Daliang has two strategists, Shen Zhiyan and Shen Zhizhang, as well as Liu Bin, Yao Lin, and Zhao Hai (Zhao Zhuhai's pseudonym), three fierce generals, who led everyone to defend the border city.

Three days later, the Northern Night Kingdom took the lead in abandoning the covenant, taking the two princes and six princesses as hostages, threatening the Shen family to withdraw their troops, and demanding that Daliang cede the twelve cities of the border pass and pay 10 million taels of silver. In response, the Northern Night Kingdom declared a truce for another three days, waiting for the Great Liang to reply.

Unexpectedly, that night, the Northern Night Kingdom once again reneged on the alliance and launched an attack, sending 20,000 troops to attack the Daliang camp in the middle of the night. The Daliang army has not yet rested, the men and horses are tired, they can't cope with it, and there are countless casualties. Seeing that he was about to abandon the city, Shen Zhiyan was forced by the situation, and then wore battle armor and killed countless enemies with his own hands. Shen Zhizhang followed in the footsteps of his brother, and also wore battle armor and went to the battlefield in person.

In the northern frontier of beacon fire and wolf smoke, corpses are everywhere, and Shen Zhiyan stands on top of the city tower with a horizontal spear, raising his arms and shouting. Everyone saw the young general of the Shen family again, and their morale was greatly boosted, and they defended the dangerous city.

This battle was fought from the night when the wolf smoke was wanton to the dawn of the sky, and almost everyone in the Daliang military camp had exhausted all their strength. But at the moment, the people and horses of the Northern Night Kingdom are pouring in as if they can't kill them, and a general led by them seems to see the importance of Shen Zhiyan to Daliang, and immediately ordered his subordinates to besiege and kill Shen Zhiyan alone.

Zhao Zhuhai and the others couldn't cover it, and in the chaos, Shen Zhiyan fell heavily after a hard fight.

"Brother!" Shen Zhizhang drew out the bloody long sword that pierced the enemy's body, roared angrily, and killed Shen Zhiyan desperately, and Zhao Zhuhai carried him under a low wall to examine his wounds.

Three arrows and one sword, two deadly.

Shen Zhizhang didn't care about anything else, so he got up and said, "I'll kill a way out, and General Zhao will escort my brother to find Mr. Duan!" ”

"Okay." Zhao Zhuhai should go down.

"Zhizhang......" Shen Zhiyan raised his hand and grabbed the hem of Shen Zhizhang's clothes, his eyes sad: "Present...... Don't save me, defend the city, you must defend it! ”

"Okay, big brother, I will definitely hold it." But I can save my brother from growing up with everything. Shen Zhizhang nodded, pulled out the hem of his clothes ruthlessly, and fought forward, trying to give Shen Zhiyan a bloody way out.

With the sound of fighting all around him, the corpses flowing with blood under his feet, and the viscous smell of blood in his nose and chest, under the dawn of this northern Xinjiang, Shen Zhizhang once again felt the same desperate breath as the battle he experienced in his childhood.

Childhood experiences swirl in his mind, countless sealed memories began to pour into his consciousness, and when he roared and almost collapsed, he saw a large flag outside the city getting closer and closer under the rising red sun. With this, a cloud of dust kicked up by countless horses trampling on the earth, and thousands of soldiers and horses swept towards the border city. Seeing that the other party's clothes were the appearance of the Liang people, Hou Zhanfei said in surprise: "Look! Look! It's reinforcements arriving! ”

"Reinforcements?" Yao Lin hurriedly looked into the distance, and was also very excited: "It's really reinforcements!" ”

"Ahem, cough, cough ......" Shen Zhiyan leaned on Zhao Zhuhai, and raised his head with great effort to look into the distance, but saw the word "Ning" written on the first banner of the team, he was puzzled and muttered: "The capital is so far away...... How could there ever be a Ning army in the nearby city? ”

Shen Zhizhang stood leaning on his sword, and suddenly figured out a lot of things between the calcium carbide firelight, he turned back to Shen Zhiyan and said, "Big brother, it's King Ning!" It's King Ning! ”

"King Ning?" At this time, Shen Zhiyan's consciousness was gradually blurring, he almost stopped thinking, and his whole person became heavier and heavier, and before he could think about anything, he felt that his eyes were black for a while, and he was completely unconscious.

———————————

The people who came to support were the troops sent by Gao Chengyan. The leader of the general is Dou Yingshuo. This secret army has been lurking in the barren mountains and mountains eighty miles away from the border city and training for many years. Only wait for the Northern Night Kingdom to completely tear its face and the second prince as a hostage to support the Shen family. At this time, the frontier war was urgent, and the Ning army made meritorious contributions, so Gao Chengyan, the little son of King Ning, could logically raise troops into Beijing and threaten the old emperor to abdicate with the border matter.

But even if the god is like Gao Chengyan, he notified this army to do it as soon as he turned his face in the Northern Night Country, and he didn't count the destruction of the Northern Night Country so early. was half a day late, and almost caused a catastrophe, if it weren't for Shen Zhiyan standing up and personally going to the battlefield to boost morale, the border city might have really been lost.

At this time, Shen Zhiyan's situation was not good, Duan Lanting had almost exhausted his life's learning, and he could only silently glance at Zhao Zhuhai and Dou Yingshuo on the side, they all understood the meaning. But in front of Shen Zhizhang, Yao Lin, Liu Bin and others, Duan Lanting had to try again and again, trying to bet on this glimmer of hope.

After several rounds of acupuncture and debridement, the medicine was given to stop the bleeding. Shen Zhiyan finally opened his eyes slowly, his gaze was blank, his breathing was almost inaudible, and he was stunned for a long time before he struggled to sit up with the support of everyone. When the body recovers, the first sentence is: "Mr. Duan, this life is over, there is no need to work hard." ”

"Grandpa......" Duan Lanting felt guilty, and his voice was a little choked: "I'm sorry." ”

"Nothing." Shen Zhiyan leaned on Shen Zhizhang tiredly, and he smiled lightly: "I can go to the battlefield again, this life is worth it." ”

"Brother...... Don't say these frustrating words! Shen Zhizhang opened his mouth to comfort: "Recuperate with peace of mind, and when it's over, I'll take you home." ”

Shen Zhiyan laboriously raised his hand to hold his hand and comforted, "Okay, go home." I have a few things to say, though. ”

"Grandpa, you recuperate first, and it's not too late to get better!" Liu Bin heard that his tone was wrong, and hurriedly said.

"Don't talk, I don't have much strength." Shen Zhiyan shook his head, only looked at Duan Lanting, and slowly asked, "Who is it?" ”

Duan Lanting was stunned, almost didn't dare to look at Shen Zhiyan, he hesitated and gently tilted his head to Zhao Zhuhai on the side. Unexpectedly, Shen Zhiyan quickly caught this small action, and immediately asked, "You, as well as Zhao Hai and Dou Yingshuo, are they all King Ning?" ”

"It's the little son of King Ning, Gao Chengyan." Dou Yingshuo replied calmly: "Xiao Shizi guessed that the grandfather already knew half of it, and this time I came to tell it all." Xiao Shizi he ......"

Dou Yingshuo wanted to say something, but saw Shen Zhiyan gently shake his head to stop him from speaking, and only gasped for a while before saying, "It's him...... But his business has nothing to do with me. What did he say about my father? ”

"Yes." Dou Yingshuo nodded.

"Hmm." Shen Zhiyan coughed violently a few times, held Shen Zhizhang's hand and said tightly: "Zhizhang, if you have a chance, you must confront the emperor." After learning the truth about that year, remember to tell my father and me. ”

"Big brother!" Hearing Shen Zhiyan put himself and his father together, Shen Zhizhang's eyes instantly turned red: "Big brother...... You have to ask for yourself, I don't know what happened back then......"

"That's the first thing, did you write it down?" Shen Zhiyan interrupted him and continued: "When the time comes, Yao Lin and Liu Bin will help you." The second thing. He looked around with difficulty, and directly called by name: "Little Grandpa Dou, General Zhao Hai, Mr. Duan." In the future, no matter who is the emperor, the rivers and mountains of Daliang must be Daliang's, foreign tribes are not allowed to invade, and the two countries can sue for peace. ”

All three nodded and responded solemnly.

Shen Zhiyan said by name: "Zhizhang, Yao Lin, Liu Bin." We, Shen Jiajun...... Although the Shen family army is gone, the army has to guard the country and the people of the world, not loyal to a certain immoral emperor. The army can be loyal to the Ming Emperor, or it can overthrow the Faint Emperor. Can you write it down? ”

Shen Zhizhang nodded tearfully: "Big brother, I remember." Yao Lin and Liu Bin couldn't bear to look at it anymore, so they just turned their heads away and wiped the tears from the corners of their eyes indiscriminately.

"The third thing." Shen Zhiyan closed his eyes and rested for a moment, before he cheered up again and said: "Zhizhang, our Shen family, mother, your sister-in-law, and Ruyi, the sixth princess, will all be handed over to you." I don't want to be rich and rich, but I want a safe family. Little Ruyi...... I promised your sister-in-law that I would see Ruyi get married...... I'm afraid I can't do it now......" Shen Zhiyan's voice choked, and a line of tears fell from the corners of his eyes, and soon fell into his clothes and disappeared along his chin: "You send her to marry on my behalf, don't let her be wronged in the future...... cough cough cough ...... cough cough cough ......"

"Big brother, I promise you, don't worry, I will definitely protect my mother, sister-in-law and Xiao Ruyi." Shen Zhizhang hurriedly responded: "In the future, I will take a good check, and I will definitely choose a good family business for Ruyi!" ”

Shen Zhiyan nodded, he took Shen Zhizhang's hand and said, "The last thing...... You and the Six Princesses...... My brother knows that you are a long-term person, but if the sixth princess has a case, you ...... Don't be bitter about yourself...... You know? No...... You've suffered enough in your life......"

Shen Zhizhang let the tears fall, and only nodded and said, "Brother, don't worry, Jinshu and I will definitely ...... well."

"Hmm......"

Shen Zhiyan snorted lowly, suddenly trembled all over, and after squirting a mouthful of blood, he held Shen Zhizhang's hand tightly, and suddenly let go.

Shen Zhiyan finally died on the battlefield he was familiar with, and like all the heroic predecessors of the Shen family, he died on the battlefield, sacrificed his homeland, carried the coffin into Beijing, and then turned into one of the rows of tablets in the ancestral hall.

All the people in the room fell silent, and after a while, they saw Yao Lin and Liu Bin kneeling down and kowtowing: "Young General, you go all the way ......" Duan Lanting, Dou Yingshuo, and Zhao Zhuhai then also saluted in silence.

Shen Zhizhang held his brother's still warm hand tightly with his backhand, and quietly shed tears. There is another relative in this world who has left him, and he has no time to grieve. All the burdens and responsibilities are urging him to grow and move forward, and there are still more things that he needs to solve.

The country hates the family feud, and the wife and children ......

He can't afford to lose the brocade book anymore.

Shen Zhizhang sat indifferently for a moment, and quickly made a decision: "In order to stabilize the army's morale against the Northern Night Kingdom, I will not announce the death of my eldest brother to the public for the time being." From now on, I will go on the expedition in place of my eldest brother until the northern frontier is pacified! ”