When Xishan received the order from the headquarters, Xi Junmai imagined the appearance of Xizhou, at that time he was fully mentally prepared, as much as possible to imagine Xizhou as incomparably barren and backward, in order to adjust his body and mind will not be too stimulated after seeing Xizhou, but after the real Xizhou fell in Xi Junmai's eyes, he found that he was still too young, there is no most barren in the world, only more barren, just looking at the city wall of Xizhou, his heart was half cold.

"I wonder what you're going to do when you get closer?"

This is also a question that Xi Junmai is most concerned about, Cao Yu squinted his eyes and smiled, his smile was a little bitter.

"I can't be like them, I'm going to stay here, but I won't hinder you, you just don't exist as if I don't exist, anyway, my assassin doesn't have any sense of existence here."

Xi Junmai's expression was also a little bitter, he knew that an official like Cao Yu didn't sneak back casually, without the emperor's order, if you ran back privately, it would be looking for death, so Cao Yu said to stay, Xi Junmai has no objection, as long as he doesn't hinder him, Xi Junmai's question is finished, Cao Yu also has a question to ask him.

"The commander went to Xizhou to take office, in addition to the thousands of black troops accompanying him, I don't know what else he brought?"

Cao Yu stared at him, his thin face was full of anticipation, and Xi Junmai said with some surprise.

"What else did you bring?"

Xi Junmai naturally knew what Cao Yu said, but he wouldn't say it, seeing Xi Junmai's stunned appearance, the expectation on Cao Yu's face gradually turned into disappointment, and he sighed.

"This official Yu Zhenguan took office in the fifth year of Xizhou Assassin History, and from that time on, I handed over no less than ten ways to Chang'an every year, and asked the imperial court to allocate money and grain to Xizhou to transfer troops. The danger of Xizhou, not in it and do not know it, the ministers of Chang'an only know that His Majesty is now in the world, and the neighbors dare not make times, but they do not know that the neighbors do not dare to make times is only the surface, the original Xizhou got the name is not justifiable, the Gaochang royal family has been holding grudges for many years, and there are Turkic people in the secret fanning the flames, colluding and pleading, committing the counties under the jurisdiction of our state, Qiuzi, Yanqi, Tubo and other countries are eyeing each other, in a vain attempt to profit from it, in the past four years, the official has played countless times, indicating the danger of Xizhou, but Xizhou is located in a remote area, and it costs a lot of money to go out of the division, And in recent years, the courtiers of the three provinces have also had a lot of discussions about Xizhou, saying that Xizhou is a place of chicken ribs, located in the center of the desert, there is no way to attack, there is no way to defend, the most important thing in the court is Xue Yantuo in the north and Tubo in the west, so my song is handed into Chang'an after the mud cow into the sea, there is no news, and it is often handed in exchange for the reprimand of Shangshu Province, or hundreds of stones of grain and grass to talk about coping, the ministers of the court sit in Huatang, looking down on the world, where do you know the pain of guarding Xizhou, the official looks forward to it day and night, and hopes that the court can allocate some money and grain to Xizhou, Dispatch the generals, who knows, alas, don't talk about it. ”

Cao Yu sighed bitterly and said a lot, but what does this have to do with him Xi Jun? After the banquet, it is not said that the guests and hosts are happy, after all, it is the first acquaintance, and how deep and turbid the water in Xizhou is, Xi Junmai chatted a lot with Cao Yu during the banquet, until the end of the banquet, Xi Junmai said goodbye and left the house, the biggest gain tonight is that Xi Junmai roughly understands the current situation in Xizhou, and the situation is not optimistic than he thought, Xi Junmai walked out of the Thorn Mansion It was already evening, and a cold wind blew in his face, the wind was wrapped in yellow sand, and his plain face was soon covered with a layer of dust, in the northwest desert, Even the wind and sand have a desolate and rough and insinuating taste, Xi Junmai wiped his face, looked at the sinking desert sun, exhaled a breath of turbidity in his chest, he left Xishan when it was not long in spring, walked on the road for three months, and it was about to enter summer, but the night in the desert was still so cold, Xi Junmai went out of the city and returned to the camp, the black army had already started to eat in the field canteen, after entering the camp, Xi Junmai's wife Bai Ruhui came forward, she first patted Xi Junmai covered in dust, and then took off his boots for him and put on slippers, After three months of long-distance travel, Bai Ruhui's face was covered with haggardness, and her once ruddy cheeks were now red spots everywhere by the sun, and her skin was much rougher than before, even Xi Junmai, who had no feelings for Bai Ruhui, felt a little distressed in his heart, people are not plants and trees, how can they be ruthless? Bai Ruhui did this for him, what could he do? Can you still harden your heart and continue to push her away? The relationship between the two of them is like a silent spring rain, whether it is resistance or recognition, unconsciously, they are integrated with each other, run-in, and irreversible like the laws of nature.

"Lang Jun, don't eat roast lamb shank tonight, okay? Today, the concubine body made oil noodles for you, and the cook in the family said that Lang Jun liked this thing the most, and the concubine body also learned it."

Bai Ruhui said with a little joy on her face.

"Okay."

Xi Junmai was still thinking about the matter of Xizhou in his mind, and responded absentmindedly, then came back to his senses and asked suspiciously.

"Oily noodles? Where did the noodles come from? Didn't we run out of pasta on the way? ”

Bai Ruhui said with a smile.

"It was sent by the merchant Na Yan of Guizi, today Na Yan came to the camp to visit the husband, Lang Jun entered the city to see the history of the assassin, and Na Yan didn't see you, so he sent someone to leave two bags of noodles."

Xi Junmai's eyelids jumped, and he hesitated for a moment and said.

"When I find out the situation in Xizhou, I plan to tear down this broken city and rebuild it, and then we will move into the city to live, and now I can only wronged you."

"Well, listen to my husband."

It is not easy to figure out the situation in Xizhou, in Xi Junmai's opinion, the atmosphere in the city of Xizhou is a little weird, I always feel that the entire city is covered with a thin layer of black gauze, which looks very hazy and beautiful from a distance, take a closer look, it turns out that the role of this layer of cloth is not for beauty, but to cover the revealing killing machine, Xi Junmai wants to open it, but he is afraid that he will not be able to accept the murderous aura, he is even more afraid that after it is opened, he does not know how many ghosts and ghosts will emerge inside, how much chain reaction will be caused, he must think about his subordinates and everyone. Yesterday he and Cao Yu can be regarded as having a very happy conversation, but the so-called talk between the two, in fact, there is not much dry goods in the content, in general, Cao Yu and Xi Junmai are respectful to each other, as for how much sincerity is contained in this kind of respect, only the two of them know in their hearts, after leaving the city from the Assassin's Mansion, Xi Junmai waited patiently in the camp outside the city for two days, he was waiting for the handover of Lao Xu and Cao Yu, two days passed, Lao Xu and this Cao Assassin completed the handover, and those officials who wanted to leave directly packed up and left, As for the official business, there was no handover, after all, Xi Junmai and they were not court officials, and the transaction between them was not visible, so Xi Junmai did not expect them to hand over any official business, and the administrative staff brought by Xishan began to take over the government affairs of Xizhou City, and the technicians began to explore Xizhou City under the protection of the black army, and when Xi Junmai stayed alone in the camp, he looked at the map on the table, his eyes stared at the location of Shangxizhou, and the neighboring countries with red lines drawn around him, and gradually showed a thoughtful look, And his wife Bai Ruhui lived a very fulfilling life, Xi Junmai really didn't understand why she could always find something to do, laundry for him every day, cooking, busy cleaning up the camp tent, obviously it was just a field tent, but she cleaned up the camp tent more delicately than home. On this day, Xi Junmai was looking at the map again, and when he was in a daze looking at the red lines and patterns drawn with various logos on it, Bai Ruhui opened the curtain and came in.

"Lang Jun, your clothes and concubine have been washed, if Lang Jun wants to bathe at night, the concubine will go and boil water for you now."

Xi Jun bought back his mind and said.

"You don't have to work so hard, don't do these things in the future, this is a military camp, you can't go too far."

Bai Ruhui smiled, just right to show only four teeth, gentle and moving.

"The concubine is also idle, as long as she doesn't cause trouble to Lang Jun."

Xi Junmai sighed, for this matter, he had persuaded Bai Ruhui more than once, but she never refused to listen, and gradually, Xi Junmai had to let it go. The city of Xizhou is still lifeless, it seems that every city has two cities, East and West, and Xizhou is no exception. It's just that the east and west cities of Xizhou are deserted, whether it is a merchant or a common people, they all droop their faces, and they are not able to greet business, and the caravans passing through Xizhou are more simply, after entering the city to replenish food and water, they do not stay for a moment, and set off immediately, and they are willing to sleep outside the city in tents at night, rather than sleep in the pavilion in the city, in the summer, the weather is getting hotter and hotter, and the summer in the desert is even more so, Xi Junmai wears a light training uniform, walks on the streets of Xizhou under the scorching sun, and soon is sweating profusely, As if he had just been fished out of the water, in contrast, Na Yan walking next to him was much more relaxed, perhaps he had long been accustomed to the weather in the desert, and at this moment, Na Yan looked relaxed, not a drop of sweat was not seen on his face, and he walked beside Xi Junmai with a smile on his face, which was better than a leisurely stroll.

"That brother."

Xi Junmai gasped and said, and said with a dark face.

"Head Xi, villain again, I don't have a surname, you can call me by my full name, just don't call me brother again."

"Okay, brother, there's something you can help me with."

Na Yan sighed in frustration and said weakly.

"Although Captain Xi commands, the villain will do his best."

"That brother goes south and north, the door is broad, I want to build a house in the city, the house should be big, spacious, there are rockeries, gardens, front and back yards, and ponds, but Xizhou is located in the desert, and a lot of masonry materials are difficult to get together for a while, and I ask that brother to help one or two."

Na Yan's eyes widened and he said in surprise.

"Xizhou was a famous oasis in the desert before it was built, and the Han Dynasty built a city because of this oasis, and there are only three wells in the city so far, and you still have a pond in your house, this ......"

"I don't want the pond, I want everything else."

Xi Junmai said very happily, in fact, he didn't want to build any house for himself, but just wanted to find out if there was a way to get these building materials, because it was obviously impossible to transfer them from Xishan. Na Yan nodded.

"Although it is a little troublesome to transport the masonry materials, if the price is sufficient, it is not difficult to transport them, as for the craftsmen who build houses, there are also many craftsmen in the city, who spend money to hire more than a dozen or so, and then invite more than 100 people, this matter is prepared."

Na Yan obviously didn't know Xi Jun's plan to buy it, and really thought that he was going to build a house.

"That brother, I have a very strange question, your caravan is full of goods from Chang'an, and it is supposed to go back to Qiuci, but why are you staying in Xizhou these days?"

Na Yan showed an unnatural expression and coughed twice.

"A merchant will seek profit, and if he has goods in his hand, he can sell them anywhere."

"But you have also seen the appearance of Xizhou, such a deserted market, who do you think will buy your goods?"

"It's just a matter of waiting a few more days, and if there is no business in a few days, the villain will continue to travel west back to Qiuzi."

The two of them walked while talking, and soon passed through the East Market, after leaving the market, the streets became more and more deserted, except for a group of black troops patrolling the city, there were only some scattered people who were busy with their own work with sad faces, occasionally heard a few women or children's cries, and then were slapped by the man and lost their sound, Xi Junmai's footsteps became slower and slower, and finally simply stopped, and then stopped, and looked at him suspiciously, looking at the dilapidated and deserted street, Xi Junmai said thoughtfully.

"Brother, you said that a good city, how could it be like this? Why do you have such a lifeless appearance? ”

In Xi Junmai's thoughts, what should a city have, then it should have an endless stream of people entering or leaving the city, there are vendors walking back and forth on the streets, there are various shops in the city soliciting customers at the door and shouting business, horses neighing and mules calling donkeys to scatter joy, adults laughing, children crying, men smoking mothers-in-law, mother-in-law scolding the street, all kinds of voices are the scenery of the city, this is what a normal city should look like, it is not so quiet everywhere in Xizhou, with a sense of despair and despair, Xi Junmai walked in Xizhou City, while watching, Every corner of the city, every detail, the expression on everyone's face, was taken into his eyes, he remembered Cao Yu's frank admission of the dangerous situation in Xizhou, Xi Junmai gradually began to be anxious in his heart, in the environment surrounded by wolves, Xizhou is still in the hands of the Tang Dynasty, relying on nothing more than the three years of Zhenguan Li Shimin's extermination of the Turks, so that the neighbors of the Western Regions are cautious and dare not act rashly, and now the neighboring countries are disguised as bandits and loot everywhere in the jurisdiction of Xizhou, these actions are obviously testing the reaction of the Tang Dynasty, Look at where the bottom line is for Datang to tolerate them. Xi Junmai is very sure that in the near future, the situation in Xizhou is about to change dramatically, and the countries of the Western Regions, especially Gaochang and the Turks, have long held a grudge against the Tang Dynasty, and the long-suppressed contradictions will inevitably break out at some point. By the low earthen walls on all sides and by just his thousand black troops?

"Brother, how about accompanying me to the city wall and looking around?"

Xi Junmai said with a smile, Na Yan also froze after hearing it, and then said with a smile.

"Head Xi has this Yaxing, and the villain should accompany him."

So Na Yan led the way, led Xi Junmai towards the city wall, through a straight and simple north-south street, Na Yan led Xi Junmai and the accompanying Lao Xu and others to the south city wall, at this time it was evening, the afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on the rammed earth of the city wall, covered with a layer of golden light, the oncoming hot wind mixed with a little yellow sand and dust, to this lonely city to add a bit of desolate Xiao Ran, under the city wall, Xi Junmai looked solemn, looking at this wall made of rammed earth and sand, after years of wind and frost, Many places on the wall have cracked, staring at it for a long time, he suddenly stretched out his hand to grab the wall, slightly hard, then grabbed a handful of loess, watched the loess in his hand turn into dust and drift away with the wind, his expression became gloomy, because he knew that such a city wall, who can be prevented, a round of death-forgetting charge, plus a siege stake, is enough to break the city, Xizhou seems to be solid, up close is actually fragile and vulnerable, now it has not been broken by the enemy, relying not on defense and combat power, but on the former Tang Yu Wei, and Yu Wei, after all, is only once, It will soon be invalid, when the army of the foreign race gathers outside the city of Xizhou one day, then it will be the real end of Xizhou, Xi Junmai stood quietly in front of the city wall with a gloomy expression, I don't know how long later, Xi Junmai suddenly said.

"That brother, you have traveled from south to north, you have seen the most, and you have walked through the most cities, can you tell me, how is this city wall?"

Na Yan said with a wry smile.

"Head Xi is actually very clear in his heart, why bother asking the villain?"

Xi Junmai smiled, turned his head to look at Lao Xu, Lao Xu's expression was more gloomy than him, he was a veteran of the Xishan battalion, he was the same as Xi Junmai, the people he saw on weekdays were the solid walls of Xishan, how could he have seen such a dilapidated and fragile earthen city wall, he was a professional soldier, he knew very well what such a fragile city wall represented, if a foreign enemy attacked the city, in order to defend this dilapidated city wall, I don't know how many soldiers' lives would have to be paid, looking at Lao Xu's ugly face, Xi Junmai asked him with a smile.

"Old Xu, what do you think?"

Lao Xu snorted angrily, turned his head to the side and said.

"It's just."

Xi Junmai pondered for a moment and said.

"Can we hold it?"

"If there is enough ammunition, there is no problem in holding on, but if you want to fight back, it is simply impossible."

Xi Junmai stood quietly for a long time, everyone's eyes were focused on him, looking at his smiling face, everyone dared not speak, after a long time, Xi Junmai grabbed a handful of loess from the city wall, his hands slowly rubbed, the loess turned into fine dust in his hands in the blink of an eye, drifting away with the wind, Xi Junmai clapped his hands and said.

"Let's go, go back to camp."

Xi Junmai is just a regiment commander of the Xishan battalion, and this time it is Xue Rengui and others who comprehensively evaluate and select him, but after all, he doesn't want Li Yong to have a thousand years of knowledge, especially in Xizhou, where he is, the situation and current situation in Xizhou are obviously close to the upper limit of Xi Junmai's IQ, he calculates left and right, judging from the current situation and current situation, it seems difficult to keep Xizhou City, once there is a foreign invasion, he can only rely on him and the strong force of the black army to resist, what worries him the most is the ammunition supply, the musket has no ammunition supply, That is a burning stick, relying on hand-to-hand combat, that is obviously unrealistic, even if the black army has a strong defensive Xishan helmet and an extremely sharp black knife, but tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and you are a thousand, it is not enough for people to stuff their teeth. After saying goodbye to Na Yan, Xi Junmai led Lao Xu and them to the camp outside the city, silent all the way, the atmosphere was depressing, and when they walked into the camp gate, the soldiers on duty saluted Xi Junmai and others, Xi Junmai nodded lightly and returned a military salute, Lao Xu's words were held all the way, and seeing that Xi Junmai was going back to the camp tent, he finally couldn't help but ask.

"The regimental commander specially inspected the city wall today, has he already figured out how to rebuild it?"

Xi Junmai paused, turned to look at him and said.

"Wrong, it's my plan to tear down the entire Xizhou City and rebuild it."