With the order of the eighth prince Ba Yuan'an, a black-clothed warrior walked in with a large pottery plate covered with a black cloth in his hand.

The generals didn't know what it was, and they watched quietly, not daring to speak.

The warrior sent the wooden plate to Ba Yuan'an, and Ba Yuan'an tore off the black cloth with one claw, but it was a head, and the generals were shocked.

Ba Yuan'an said: "Everyone, this is the head of General Ba Kai. ”

The crowd was even more shocked, and the birds were silent.

Ba Yuanan glanced at the generals and said: "A few days ago, Ba Kai, the general of the Yuhou Department, saw that the Chu army was strong and Yucheng was not guaranteed, thinking that the general situation was about to go, he secretly sent someone to send a secret letter to the Chu general to raise a bright and beautiful appointment. Because I was concentrating on preparing to break the enemy a few days ago, I didn't care about killing him, and today I just beheaded him to show the public!"

Everyone was surprised, and they were all solemn.

Hu'an Mountain's son, Yu Menglong, secretly observed Yu Hou and found that his face was as ugly as a dead pig's liver, and he thought to himself: "I mean that I haven't seen Ba Kai in the past few days." Ba Kai is a brave general, and he knows the art of war, although he sometimes complains, but he has not heard of any major problems, why do he do things that are wrong when he has a bad thought? Could it be that he is really a bird in the same forest, and when the great disaster comes, they fly separately? It is really unpredictable for people's hearts. ”

Yu Menglong turned his head slightly, wanting to see Gonggongzi Gongbiao's expression, but found that Gongbiao was also looking at himself, his eyes were a little weird, and he hurriedly closed his eyes.

Could it be that he was suspicious, because Ba Kai had violated Ba Yuan'an's authority more than once, and Ba Yuanan took the opportunity to kill chickens to show the monkeys, and warned the leaders and generals of the three major tribes of Dan and Fushui not to make key mistakes at a critical moment and try to have anything to do with the people of Chu to protect the entire clan?"

Not only did Yu Menglong not understand why for a while, but even when later generations studied this matter, they did not find strong evidence that Ba Kai collaborated with the enemy, and of course, there was no evidence that he died unjustly, so it became a mystery.

Yu Menglong was a little melancholy, although he was adjacent to Gonggongzi and had a good relationship, he didn't dare to say a word.

After this episode, most people were not in the mood to eat and drink, and as soon as the procedure was over, the banquet dispersed.

Two days later, it was found that the Chu general Yangming went to Yicheng, and the army of Chu was preparing to retreat, leaving Douying as the main general, and Nang Han and Shen Xiao as the deputy generals, sticking to Xiaoguan, and the Ba people knew that it was difficult to recapture Xiaoguan for a while, and the Ba lord ordered all departments to collect troops.

However, he said that at that time, Yang Ming, the chief general of the Chu army, was defeated at Tingzi Pass, and retreated into Xiaoguan in a panic all the way, counting the number of people, thousands of dead and wounded, and more than a dozen generals, and said with tears: "I don't know for a while, and I have harmed the army!"

General Qu Shusun said: "This time to seize one city and two passes, the soldiers forced Funiu Mountain, the Ba people were frightened, and it was a great achievement that had never been achieved. ”

Yang Ming said angrily: "What is the difference between the pavilion being closed and lost? I said a long time ago that in order to obtain Yushui Salt Spring, the most important thing is to eliminate the main force of the Pakistani army in this area, especially the main force of the local tribes, otherwise, even if you take Yushui, Citrus Capital, and even Jiangzhou, there will be a fart! As long as there are people and the land is lost, the warriors of the Pakistani country will come to take it back at any time! I dare to talk extravagantly about the merits! I will go to meet my king and ask for punishment!"

Previously, the king of Chu was in Yicheng, and he was very excited to learn that the salt spring of Funiu Mountain was going to be in hand soon, and today he got the news of the defeat of the pavilion, and he was shocked: "Yangming has always been steady, why did he fall into the hands of the Ba people?

In his heart, King Chu Xuan regretted very much that he had summoned Yang Ming at a critical moment in the war, but when he said it, he would damage his wisdom.

Yang Ming, the chief general of the Chu army, and Qu Rong, the deputy general, returned to Yicheng and pleaded guilty to the king of Chu.

King Chu said: "There is a fierce battle, and the two of you will retreat and rest first." ”

The second general saw that the king of Chu did not scold, but only showed displeasure on his face, and his heart was terrified.

Yang Ming and Qu Rong retreated, and the favored minister An Lingjun slandered: "Yishui and Yushui have two of the three major salt springs in Pakistan. This time, he fell for the tricks of the Palestinians, lost thousands of soldiers, and should be beheaded. ”

The king of Chu did not answer, and An Lingjun dismissed him.

The king of Chu ordered the famous ministers who accompanied him to be taunted.

Zhao Xixian quickly entered the temporary palace of the king of Chu and met the king of Chu.

The king of Chu ordered him to sit down and said: "The battle of Yushui, the result is like this, and the widow really didn't expect it. Known as the victorious general of Yangming, I have seen the reputation. ”

"Victory and defeat are a common thing in soldiers. The ancestors of Yangming raised Youji, a peerless general, who has repeatedly performed miraculous feats, and there are times when horses stumble. During the reign of King Kang, Shu Jiu rebelled against Chu from Wu, and ordered Yin Qujian to lead his division to crusade, and encountered Wu's rescuers in Licheng, and Yang Youji's right division was annihilated by Wu's army. However, that defeat was not enough to hide the brilliance of the famous general Yoyuki. Zhao Xixian was not in a hurry, and first introduced an old thing.

"Some people say that they have been raising their heads for a few years, and they have suddenly been a little majestic recently, and they have different aspirations, what do you think?"

Zhao Xixian punned: "The minister thinks that Yang Ming is just a fox and a fake tiger, and there is no dissent!" Zhao Xixian used the famous story of "fox and fake tiger power" that he was slandered by the minister Jiang Yi to remind the king of Chu not to listen to and believe partially.

The king of Chu laughed and punned: "Don't be suspicious of employing people, don't use suspicious people." The widow knows well that he is bright, so he is entrusted with the important task of destroying water and drowning water. However, if you want to take the salt spring of Pakistan, you should have listened to the opinions of everyone a long time ago, and the widow would have conquered it in person, or let the most famous general in our country take command. ”

Zhao Xi said: "Weichen material, the salt spring of Funiu Mountain, will be obtained for me in the hands of Yangming." ”

The king of Chu said: "How do you say this?"

"The ministers only know one thing, but they don't know the other. ”

"Please explain. ”

"First, on form. The world in troubled times is not the world of the Son of Heaven, nor the world of the people of the world, but the world of great countries and powerful countries.

"Those who can compete with our Chu State to win the Central Plains must be great powers, not Ba and Shu. Qin, the country of tigers and wolves, ministers stealing materials from Qin cannot be taken lightly.

"The land of Bashu is a piece of fat meat, even Qin is adjacent to Chu, who doesn't want to eat it? Qin gets it, then fat Qin, Chu gets it, then it is fat.

"If I raise a large army of the whole country to take the country, the whole world will be shocked, and other great powers will not want us to succeed. First of all, it is inconvenient for Qin Yuren to inevitably make an obstacle from this, instigating the Sanjin to take the opportunity to use troops against us, or even directly send troops to help.

"Second, the situation. Bashu lips and teeth depend on each other, if the pressure is very urgent, the Shu people feel the pressure of my westward expansion, and will unite with Pakistan again. Back then, the Shuba Alliance attacked Zifang, and it was because of this.

"However, if I go down every level, I will be like Yishui defending the pass, showing the momentum of building the pass to defend myself, and my lips will be broken without feeling that my teeth are too cold, but the Shu people will rejoice that his feud is constantly troublesome, just like boiling a frog in warm boiling water.

"Moreover, Pakistan is like a rotten ship, which only needs to be gnawed in small bites, and sooner or later swallow it all. ”

"Third, on pawns. The Dan Fushui of Pakistan is full of mountains and valleys, which is not conducive to the movement of the army, and even if there are hundreds of thousands of troops, there is no place for them. My Chu people have always liked to live in the plains, not like to live in the deep mountains and valleys, and my division in Yicheng is different, for many years in the deep mountains and old forests, practiced the foot strength of climbing mountains and wading through the water, bowing the waist and bending the legs, is the opponent of the Ba people.

"Finally, on the general. Raising his people, although not as good as his ancestors raised by the base has the voice of the world's famous generals, but there is a famous general's strategy, just like the word, Taoguang and obscure, it is the person who does great things, he is a good arrow hidden in the sleeve.

"Yang Ming has fought with the Pakistani people for many years, knows the terrain of Pakistan best, and is well versed in the national conditions, human feelings, and tactics of the Pakistani people.

"With these four articles, the minister dares to expect: the salt spring of Funiu Mountain will be obtained for me in the hands of Yangming. ”

Chu ** said: "This time the soldiers entered the pavilion pass, and the Ba people broke their courage. regret that he did not listen to Yangming's plan to enter the country three ways, which led to this failure. ”

"I'm the king!" Zhao Xixian said and retreated.

The next day, the king of Chu wanted to summon the main generals of this campaign to be dealt with.

Dou Ying, the famous general who defended Xiaoguan, got the order to hand over the military power to the deputy general, and he was sincerely frightened and rushed to Yicheng, the base camp of Vaba.

In the evening of the same day, in the palace of the king of Chu, generals such as Yang Ming, Qu Rong, Zhuang Fu, and Douying carefully reported the defeat process to the king of Chu, reviewed the mistakes, and asked for punishment.

An Lingjun, the favorite minister of the king of Chu, happened to be present again, ridiculing Yang Ming's plan, Yang Ming's face was red, and he was embarrassed.

The fierce general Douying was straightforward and the most respectful, and said angrily: "General Taoguang has been in Yishui for several years, there is no merit, there is also hard work, you are a soft eater, you dare to ridicule the general who killed the general and captured the flag! After mocking the famous general who was the first marksman!"

Dou Ying's words were obviously too inconsiderate, he was talking about An Lingjun, but he was slapping the king of Chu in the face.

An Lingjun was ashamed and hateful, and the king of Chu was furious and ordered the fighting eagle to be beaten out of the stick.

General Zhuang Fu hurriedly said: "General Douying lost the battle because of this, and there is a fire in his chest, so he doesn't think about it, and he talks nonsense, which is really inappropriate, and I ask my king for forgiveness!"

The famous minister Zhao Xixian also persuaded the king of Chu to be angry, and ordered the two levels of the eagle lord to be cut back to the capital for observation and use, and the punishment of the others was discussed again in the capital; the herald ordered the army to retreat, Yang Ming, Qu Rong, and others returned to the capital together, and the general Zhuang Fu temporarily took care of the military affairs of Yicheng; at the same time, the number of generals was ordered to stick to the area from Xiaoguan to Yicheng and from Qiqiu Mountain to Yicheng.

On the way back to the capital, Qu Rong had already thought through it, and as soon as he arrived in the capital, he sent a letter of guilt to the king of Chu, saying that he was the main general of the army of this expedition, and he could not escape the blame, even greater than the crime of the main general Yangming, and asked for heavy punishment.

The king of Chu looked at the table and said happily: "Qu Rong is very responsible!"

was not punished on the spot in Yicheng, and when he returned to the national capital, the king of Chu seemed to forget about the defeat of Tingziguan, and did not mention this matter, Yang Ming was even more frightened in his heart, and after thinking about it, he gave the king of Chu a secret letter, asking for his resignation as the chief general of Yishui, and the king of Chu "pushed the boat down the river", dismissed all the positions of Yang Ming, and ordered the general Zhuang Fu to temporarily replace the chief general of Yishui.

The Ba people heard the "golden combination" of Yangming and Douying, and both left Yishui, and the Chu general Qu Rong, who was considered not to be despised by the famous general Ba Xiu, was not appointed, but entrusted the gentle, even timid and fearful Zhuang Fu to Yishui.

When the eighth prince Ba Yuan'an got the news, he had already returned to the capital and said to his entourage: "In this way, the state of Chu has no intention of depressing water for the time being, and I can finally sleep a few times peacefully!"