The border of Zhengyang Pass, Fufeng City, the residence of the chief general of the Dasheng Army.

It was late at night, but there were still a few oil lamps lit in the main hall of the mansion. A middle-aged man in a military uniform with a black beard was sitting behind a desk, studying a topographic map spread out in front of him.

He is a veteran who has been stationed at the border all the year round and is a very prestigious veteran of the Dasheng Dynasty, Chu Pingchuan, the general of the expedition to the west.

After more than 20 years on the border, the bitter cold of the border years carved traces of the vicissitudes of the Tao on his face, making his temples frosted early in his fifties, and a cold and hard black armor robe lined his face with majesty and heroism.

"General, it's late at night, so let's rest early." Chen Yinzhi, the deputy general who was standing quietly beside him, saw that Chu Pingchuan's face was tired, and he couldn't help but persuade him.

Since he was ordered to garrison the border of Zhengyang Pass, Chu Pingchuan in Chen Yinzhi's eyes has often been as sad as now, his face is heavy, his time to rest is getting less and less, and the time to study military intelligence is getting longer and longer. A few days ago, the emperor ordered them to send troops to the northwest as soon as possible, but in the past few days, he has looked even more preoccupied, and he has never shown his face.

"Yinzhi, are you also wondering, why didn't I send troops to the northwest for a long time?" Chu Pingchuan's figure didn't move, but he asked in a deep voice towards Chen Yinzhi.

"The general must have a deep meaning in doing this." Chen Yinzhi replied.

"You're wrong, I didn't mean anything this time." Chu Pingchuan smiled, with a bit of self-deprecation. "Actually, to put it bluntly, it's two words, don't dare. I don't dare to send troops to the northwest lightly. ”

Over the years, he has been stationed on the southwestern border, fighting against the Western Liang Kingdom and the Southern Chen Kingdom. And the Meng Jiajun and Feiyun Cavalry have always been the most powerful backing of Dasheng's army, how many times, they have fought side by side, expelling the iron hooves of the enemy country that invaded Dasheng's territory. Therefore, no one knows the combat effectiveness of the Meng family army and the strength of the Feiyun Cavalry better than him.

He was not sure of this battle. Therefore, he has never dared to act rashly.

Chen Yinzhi's young and square face was slightly stunned. He has followed Chu Pingchuan for nearly ten years, and he has never seen him look so low and unconfident. "General, today is the second day of the full moon banquet of Xiao Shizi of Xuanwang's Mansion, according to the report of the spies, all the civil and military officials from all over the northwest are still attending the banquet in the Xuanwang Mansion of Mocheng, it seems that it is rumored that the full moon banquet of Xiaoshizi will be held for three days, it should be ......true."

"So, you all think it's a good opportunity to storm the city, don't you?" Chu Pingchuan asked out loud.

"This ......" Chen Yinzhi pondered for a long time, shook his head and said: "No, my subordinates think that there may be fraud in this." ”

Although the little prince of Xuanwangfu is not easy to come by, it is normal for his full moon banquet to be held for ten days. But for some reason, he always felt that something was wrong. With the intelligence network of the Xuan Wangfu, he must have known about the border of Zhengyang Pass for their Chen soldiers a long time ago, and he thought about it with his toes, and he knew what their idea was to fight in the northwest. In such a situation, as long as he is a normal person, he will not call all the civil and military officials from all over the northwest to Mocheng to drink and have fun.

Chu Pingchuan nodded slightly, "As the saying goes, soldiers are not tired of cheating, and what I am worried about is exactly that." ”

While he was talking, a personal soldier's report suddenly came from outside the hall. "Report!"

"Come in." Chu Pingchuan has a strong voice.

The personal soldier quickly ran into the hall and said urgently: "General Qiyu, Lord Rong and General Cao have led the troops to capture Shangyong City. ”

"What?" Chen Yinzhi exclaimed, "The general has not given any order to attack the city, whose idea is this?" ”

The pro-soldier snorted and said, "General Hui, is it ...... It was Lord Rong who gave an order to General Cao in the name of the general......"

"Bold!" Chen Yinzhi's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but scold angrily: "This Rong Kui is really getting more and more presumptuous, he is just a prison army, how can he give military orders without authorization!" Do you really think that because you are the son of the prime minister of the dynasty, no one will dare to treat him? ”

Chu Pingchuan's face was not very good-looking, but he didn't react as violently as Chen Yinzhi, so he just asked with a cold face: "You mean they have captured Shangyong City?" ”

"Exactly." The soldiers said: "Yu Jing, the defender of Shangyong City, went to Mocheng to participate in the full moon banquet of the little prince of Xuanwangfu, and he has not returned so far, and General Cao and they almost did not make much effort to break through the city gate. ”

Chen Yinzhi came to Chu Pingchuan's side, pointed to the topographic map on the case, and said to Chu Pingchuan: "General, although Shangyong City is the closest to Fufeng City, it is one of the farthest cities from Mocheng, even if Yu Jing receives the news at this time and rushes over, I believe he will not be able to get there so quickly." ”

Chu Pingchuan nodded, his face was full of solemnity, and after a moment of silence, he ordered: "Pass the order, gather people and horses, and rush to Shangyong City immediately." ”

Chen Yinzhi is right, Mocheng is thousands of miles away from Shangyong City, and Yu Jing really can't come back without three days and two days. And he had to get there as soon as possible.

He never believed that the Meng family's army would be so weak in its defenses. There must be fraud in this.

************

It's a summer night, insects chirp and see, and the sky is full of stars. Shangyong City in the night seems to be a little colder than in the daytime.

Outside the mansion of the city guard, rows of heavily armed Dasheng Dynasty soldiers were neatly lined up in black. At the front of the team, a man in brocade clothes in his thirties straddled a horse, turned his head to look at a bearded general with a bearded face beside him, with a smug smile on his slightly fat face, pursed his lips, and said disdainfully: "It is said that the Meng family army is brave and good at fighting, and it is invincible in the world. General Cao, are you a little too exaggerated? ”

This person is the son of Rong Huaizhong, the prime minister of Dasheng, Rong Kui. In fact, Rong Kui's body is only slightly fat, and his facial features are quite good, but somehow it gives people a feeling of being full of fat.

Cao Xun had a solemn face, glanced at Rong Kui, who was smiling a little obscenely, and frowned: "Lord Rong, don't you think this night attack is too smooth?" ”

As a perennial general stationed at Jinyang Pass, although he did not have many opportunities to cooperate or fight with the Meng family, he also knew that the military strength of the Meng family army should not be underestimated. But this attack on Shangyong City went smoothly, and even he couldn't believe it.

Yu Jing is a well-known veteran of the Meng family's army, known for being good at defending the city, even if others are not in the city, it is impossible to turn the city he is stationed in into an empty city and let others slaughter it.

"General Cao has been at the border for a long time, won't he even become less courageous?" Rong Kui glanced at Cao Xun dissatisfiedly, "If everyone of my Dasheng's generals is as timid as you and Chu Pingchuan, when will the emperor's grand wish to pacify the northwest be realized!" ”

Hearing this, Cao Xun was stunned for a moment, and after reacting, his black face instantly changed color. "What are you talking about, isn't it an order from General Chu to attack Shangyong City this time?"

"Haha......" Rong Kui looked up to the sky and laughed a few times before he snorted coldly: "Chu Pingchuan, that old thing doesn't know what he's thinking, this can't work, that's not good, he can't grow his morale and destroy his own prestige, can he seize the city by staring at his topographic map all day long?" At the critical moment, it is not necessary to rely on the official to go out. You see, now that Shangyong City has been captured, it is inevitable to capture Zhengyang Pass, and the emperor's wish to pacify the northwest is just around the corner, haha......"

Hmph, at that time, he was worried that Cao Xun would not listen to his orders, so he gave an order in the name of Chu Pingchuan, and now that Shangyong City has been breached, how can he give this credit to Chu Pingchuan.

Shangyong City is a city close to Zhengyang Pass. The city is not large, easy to attack and difficult to defend, but it is an important barrier of Zhengyang Pass. That's why Meng Yuanheng sent Yu Jing, the best general in the Meng family's army to defend the city, to garrison this place. Now that Dasheng's army has captured Shangyong City, it is equivalent to opening a gap in Zhengyang Pass, and it is no wonder that Rong Kui is so carried away.

"Shut up!" Cao Xun interrupted Rong Kui's high-pitched talk with a loud shout, his eyes widened angrily, he glared at Rong Kui and scolded: "Rong Kui, you fake military orders and act without authorization, what crime should you be guilty of?" ”

After finishing speaking, he didn't pay attention to the ridiculous appearance of Rong Kui's mouth stiffened and stunned on the spot, turned back to the deputy general behind him and ordered: "Guo Wei, quickly send someone to Fufeng City to inform General Chu." ”

Although he and Chu Pingchuan are both generals stationed at the border all year round, Chu Pingchuan's military rank is higher than him, so this time he is stationed at the border of Zhengyang Pass, Chu Pingchuan is the commander, and he is the striker. Now the commander has not given the order, but the striker has attacked the city without authorization, and if it is dealt with according to military law, he can be beheaded.

Moreover, he thinks that he is a military general with five big and three coarse, and Chu Pingchuan is much more clever than him in terms of marching and strategizing. These days, Chu Pingchuan has been delaying the order to attack the city, and he must have considered it, and there is likely to be fraud in this Shangyong city......

Just when the word "fraud" just popped out in his mind, he only heard a "bang", and the soldier sent by Guo Wei to deliver the message only ran more than a foot away on horseback, and was shocked back by a strong force, and even fell in front of Cao Xun and others.

"Who?" Deputy General Guo Wei's face changed, and he immediately looked around and shouted loudly.

It was pitch black on all sides, and only the outlines of a few mansions could be faintly seen. Darkness is always more likely to make people fearful. Just as the Dasheng soldiers began to riot, a clear voice came from the high wall not far away.

"Tut-tut, listening to this fat man's mouthful of nonsense and fart is really stinky. Big brother, I can't take it anymore, let's act quickly. ”