Because of some delays on the road and a detour by land, the arrival time in Jicheng was two days late.

Approaching Jicheng, I saw that some people fled one after another, and when I asked, I realized that in the few days they were delayed on the road, the situation at the border had changed again.

On the second day of Su Qingyao's retreat to Jicheng, the Yan army suddenly turned around and attacked Liangcheng next to the county, Su Qingyao was caught off guard and led the troops to support in a panic, but the Lianghe city guards were timid, and before Su Qingyao arrived, he surrendered to open the door and let the enemy army enter the city, and Liangcheng was self-defeating.

Su Qingyao had just come back to his senses, and the enemy army drove straight into Xichuan again. Su Qingyao led his troops to resist to the death, but the enemy was outnumbered, and he was deadlocked for more than three days, and finally was defeated.

However, in just a few days, Yin Xia lost three cities in a row.

It is said that Dongyan and Yinxia have a total of five cities bordering, Jingcheng, Zhujun, Liangcheng, Luochuan, and Mojun.

Now the two lines of defense have been broken. It is undoubtedly a huge blow to the country, which has the largest area on the borders of Kyushu.

When the five of them arrived in Jicheng, Su Qingyao was nowhere to be seen, only Russell was guarding here.

Although Jicheng is on the border, it is also a big city, but now, it is empty, please be cold, except for the patrolling soldiers, there are almost no pedestrians on the streets.

Russell said that the people fled, and those who could not escape did not dare to go out at will. On the road, I occasionally saw a few pedestrians, all of whom were dressed in shabby clothes, and when I saw them, I was so frightened that I fled in a hurry.

In troubled times, the most pitiful thing is the people.

Russell told him that Su Qingyao was guarding the city of Chengcheng, that is, south of Xichuan, to prevent the enemy from invading again.

However, it has been three days, and the enemy has not seen any movement.

After understanding the general situation, several people rushed to Juncheng again.

Compared with Jicheng, the completed city is not much better.

In August, it was supposed to be a crisp autumn day, but I could only feel the cold here.

I thought that Su Qingyao should be heavily guarded here, but unlike the tense atmosphere in my imagination, the soldiers were lazy and depressed, and when they arrived at the garrison, no one went to report it, and no one came out to greet them.

Ask the next person and find Su Qingqi's residence. The door was wide open, the room smelled of the damp tide, and everything was placed in a mess, and Su Qingqian sat on the ground with his clothes open, looking tired, as if he didn't notice their arrival at all.

When Su Shenyu saw Su Qingyao, he was a little surprised, because the person in front of him was sloppy, with cyan stubble covering his chin, and a pair of eyes listless, which was similar to the high-spirited young man at the banquet when they first met.

Gu Xing saluted him and said that he was ordered to escort Yu Hou and the county lord here.

Su Qingyao raised his eyelids, he didn't want to pay attention to them at all, he didn't even stand up, he just looked at Shen Ji and Su Shenyu and said, "You guys are here to laugh at me?"

Su Shenyu said: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ordered me and the Hou Ye to come to help the Fourth Prince."

Su Qingyao smiled and was very sarcastic: "You are a little girl, you can play a few tunes, this is the battlefield, you are here to help?" Heh......"

Su Shenyu was a little angry, and was about to say something, Shen Ji continued: "Victory or defeat is a common thing in soldiers, and the prince doesn't have to blame himself too much."

"Self-blame?" Su Qingyao sneered, stood up, straightened his clothes, walked between them, and patted Gu Xing's shoulder, "You are free, this king will not accompany you." After that, he didn't care about everyone, so he walked out by himself and shouted to the little guy passing by: "Xiao Jia, greet the guests."

When he walked away, Su Shenyu said: "What kind of attitude does he have, we are kind enough to help him."

Shen Ji said: "If you lose a few battles in a row, you must not be in a good mood."

After a few people settled down, the Yan army never moved, and Su Qingyao didn't seem to have any intention of fighting, he didn't care about anything at all, and he didn't see anyone all day long.

And at dusk on the second day, the Yan army came to envoy and asked to see Shen Ji. said that their military advisor invited Shen Ji to the tent to drink tea.

The military advisor, what he said should be Yu Sheng.

Su Shenyu was worried about fraud and insisted on going together, but the messenger said that only Shen Ji was invited.

So the messenger led the way, and Shen Ji went alone.

When he arrived at Xichuan City, he saw a young man in white standing outside the city gate, smiling at him.

Shen Ji naturally knew who it was, and he could guess it just by his eyebrows and eyes. It's just that Yu Sheng is too thin, the figure in the autumn wind is too thin, and there is no arrogance on his body, who can believe that such a seemingly ordinary teenager can turn the clouds and rain and stir up this troubled world.

Seeing Shen Ji, he saluted in a proper manner and said, "Junior Yu Sheng, I have seen Master Hou." ”

Shen Ji returned the salute, "The military advisor is polite." ”

Yu Sheng smiled: "Hou Ye doesn't have to be so polite, Hou Ye and his father were once friends, and in front of you, Yu Sheng will always be a junior." He smiled lightly, "Today, Yu Sheng took the liberty to invite Hou Ye to come, in fact, he wanted to do his brotherly friendship for his father, and Yu Sheng felt ashamed when he thought that he would be an enemy of Hou Ye in the future." ”

"Your father and I didn't know each other in the past, so you don't have to be embarrassed. Now that you are young and promising, I am happy for him. ”

The two moved into the city, Xichuan City had long been occupied by Yanjun, and there were soldiers wearing iron armor inside and out.

But unlike the Yin Xia soldiers in Juncheng and Jicheng, everyone here is high-spirited and energetic, and the soldiers are also orderly. The people of the city who did not flee did not seem to be doing well. Shen Ji felt in a trance that maybe Dong Yan's victory was not necessarily a bad thing.

The soldiers treated Shen Ji even more politely. When he arrived at the original Shoucheng Mansion, Yu Sheng had already set up a banquet and entertained Shen Ji in the Yiya Hall.

Shen Ji asked about Yu Xin, and Yu Sheng said: "Back then, the Wu clan was wiped out, Kyushu was truce, and Hou Ye and his father chose to hide in the mountains and forests. Although the mountains are hard, I enjoy it with my mother and me. ”

Shen Ji nodded, took a sip of tea, and agreed: "The old gentleman is funny, and he has always liked to have fun, so it is not a good place to go." ”

"In fact, my father has no intention of going to the court, and during the more than ten years of living in seclusion in Junyi Mountain, His Majesty has also sent people to invite my father out of the mountain several times, but my father has never agreed. It was only this time that the eldest princess came forward in person, and her father still saw the old man, and when he heard that the marquis had returned to the court, he reluctantly agreed. But his old man is finally old, and he is a little powerless, so he lets the younger generation replace him. ”

Shen Ji heard the words of the old man, and there was a dull pain in his heart.

The word "old man" is a thorn in his heart, and it is also a thorn in the heart of Emperor Yan Chengxi, which cannot be touched or remembered. When Chengye first saw him, he asked him if his old man had been like a dream over the years? Have you ever dreamed? She hated him so much, how could she give him a dream? Even in a dream, she refused to see him.

Yu Sheng got up at this time, wrapped his hands together, and took a cup of tea, "I should have given Hou Ye a cup, but unfortunately the younger generation is not good at drinking, so I have to replace the wine with tea, Hou Ye should not blame." ”

Shen Ji also got up and asked, "Childe, is this?" ”

Yu Sheng toasted the marquis on behalf of his father. Born in troubled times, they can't help themselves. My father looked forward to the day when Kyushu could completely end the war, and the people would be free from the pain of displacement, and they would no longer have to be enemies with the Hou Ye. ”

After drinking a cup, he poured another cup, "This cup, Yu Sheng respects Hou Ye, and it is Yu Sheng's luck to be able to fight with Hou Ye." ”

After drinking the tea, the two sat down to eat some wine and food. Talked a little about the war between the two countries.

Shen Ji saw that he was young, he could see that he was knowledgeable and ambitious, and he couldn't help but think of his young self, so he felt cordial, and chatted for a long time. It was almost dark when he left the city guard, and Yu Sheng personally sent him outside Xichuan City before leaving.