Chu Shixia slept very deeply this night, maybe because Shen Zhou's body was too warm, maybe because of the hot flashes and tiredness that was surging. Chu Zhixia didn't dream this night, she lay in Shen Zhou's arms, her five fingers curled up on his chest, and her strong heartbeat made her feel at ease.

The sky is getting brighter.

Chu Zhixia's eyelashes itched for a while, as if a butterfly was kissing her eyes. Chu Zhixia grabbed the messy hand and kissed it on the lips.

"Let me sleep a little longer." Chu Zhixia muttered.

"I'll bring you breakfast." Shen Zhou said, "You have to eat well and sleep well." ”

Shen Zhou put on his clothes and went out, and the temperature of the other person in the futon gradually dissipated. Chu Zhixia's head was empty, and he lay on the bed for a while, staring blankly at the patterns on the bed tent. Suddenly, there was the sound of snow being trampled in the courtyard.

Not the familiar sound of footsteps.

Chu Zhixia suddenly put on his robe, pulled out the drinking stream snow, and kicked open the door.

Jian Feng pointed at the people who silently broke through the siege of the palace guards and broke into the courtyard.

Chu Zhixia was stunned on the spot, and the blade of the sword hung to the ground.

"Master."

Li Qingbai heard a lot of rumors on the way to Yunzhong, but he couldn't help frowning when he saw Chu Zhixia's appearance. Chu Zhixia was thinner than the last time they met, and what was even more eye-catching was the long pure white hair.

Li Qingbai touched Chu Zhixia's head and sighed: "That madman said that I am fierce and have no children and grandchildren in this life. I didn't care about ghosts and gods, but now I have to believe it. After all, I hurt you, and I knew that I shouldn't have accepted you as an apprentice back then. ”

"It's none of Master's business." Chu Zhixia shook his head calmly.

"Good boy." Li Qingbai couldn't bear the pain and said, "You can't leave now, can you?" ”

"Yes." Chu Shixia said, "Even if you know that you want to hit the south wall, you can only hit it without looking back." ”

——

The second year of Xuande, April.

Embrace the snow pass.

In the four months that Chu Zhixia was far away in the clouds, Beidi and the Seven Battalions repeatedly pulled at the military fortress outside the Yongxue Pass, losing and winning. On several occasions, they were even forced by the Beidi people to fight under the pass, but fortunately, the battle line never broke through the Yongxue Pass.

"The grain transported by Guangling is about to enter the north of the city." Chu Shixia instructed Chu Jindao, "You take the Arakawa Army to escort you personally, and you can't have the slightest omission." ”

"Yes." Chu Jin bowed his head and said.

No one knows what kind of friendship Chu Zhixia and Guangling Jiang clan had, and they gave five million stone grains as they said they would, and went north along the river canal. The urgent need to embrace the snow pass has been solved, and the biggest problem at the moment is the war in Beidi.

Chu Zhixia didn't speak again, and lowered his head to flip through the military reports delivered by the seven battalions. Chu Jin didn't leave, still standing in place.

"Anything else?" Chu Zhixia asked.

"That Sword Saint Li Qingbai is still staying in Yongxue Pass, he is the general's teacher, and his subordinates don't know how to entertain him." Chu Jin restrained his tone.

"No hospitality." Chu Zhixia said disapprerovingly, "Yongxueguan didn't have a drop of wine, he was addicted to alcohol, and he left in a few days." Except for the military aircraft and the city gates, everything else is up to him. If anything happens, let me know as soon as possible. ”

Chu Jin had nothing to say and said, "Yes." ”

Chu Zhixia carefully browsed the military newspapers, and the large and small battles were connected in her mind. As she watched, she used her hands to transcribe certain details that were easily overlooked.

The seven camps of Yongxueguan are all set up to restrain Beidi.

From the initial heavy cavalry Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and Tiance Army, which were both fast and lethal, the Light Cavalry Benlei Army, which gave up heavy armor, the Guanshan Army, which gave up mobility and focused on endurance and defense, and the Yi Cavalry, which overlapped the functions of cavalry and archers.

Later, the Hawkeye Guard, who specialized in spying on military intelligence, and the heavily armored foot soldier Arakawa Army.

The military configuration of the snow pass has been perfected to the extreme.

But for so many years, only Chu Ao has played the snow pass. Most of the other time, the seven battalions were more defensive than attacking, on the one hand, because of the unfamiliarity with the depths of the Beidi grassland, the supply line could not be extended too long; On the other hand, because the cavalry holding the snow pass was hedged against the Beidi cavalry head-on, they often lost more than they won.

The path explored by the predecessors has come to an end, and Chu Shixia needs a variable.

Before you know it, it's dark.

Chu Zhixia consciously lit the lamp, and his eyes were sore.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who?"

"General, we spotted a sneaky man wandering under the walls while on patrol, and we arrested him. He said he was your friend and had come to see you. The soldier said.

"What's his name?"

"He refused to say, only that he was from the ghost market."

Chu Zhixia frowned and said, "Bring him in." ”

The soldier answered, and after a while, he walked in with a man in black who was tied up with flowers. The ghost city lord was still wearing the loose black rag-like clothes, like a bat tied into a rice dumpling, and the mutton bone mask on his face hung awkwardly from his nose.

Chu Zhixia waved his hand to let people go down, and stepped forward to untie the rope on the ghost city lord's body.

"What are you doing here? There's no money for you here. Chu Zhixia took off the cloth that blocked his mouth and said, "My master is now in the snow pass, don't run around." If he wants to beat you, I can't hold it. ”

The ghost city lord straightened the mask on his face, took a sip, and said, "Who is afraid of him!" ”

Chu Zhixia smiled silently.

The ghost city lord turned to look at Chu Zhixia, his eyes were a little red, "Your hair is really white." ”

"Why is it that every deceased person sees me, and the first thing they say is this. It's just that the hair is gray, and it's not that the head has fallen off. Chu Zhixia said indifferently, "Can you change a new sentence?" ”

"Come with me," the ghost city lord grabbed Chu Zhixia's wrist and said decisively, "You can't stay here." ”

Chu Zhixia stared at him fixedly for a moment, pushed his hand away, and said, "Thank you for your kindness, but I can't go." ”

"The Emperor Star is about to fall, and the crape myrtle wall is collapsing." The ghost city lord couldn't hide his impatience and said, "This is the omen of the death of the country, and the sky will abandon the Great Zhou!" Since last year, there has been a major drought of unknown origin in various parts of the imperial territory, and the astrological signs indicate that this drought will last for five years. Plague broke out in Yanzhou, and the infected person developed a rash and died of high fever; Binzhou poisonous miasma is rampant, insects and snakes are in chaos, and the land is cultivated but cannot be harvested. ”

Chu Zhixia was silent.

"Even if you can hold the Snow Pass, can you kill Erdan!" Seeing her stubbornness, the ghost city lord shouted anxiously, "Erdan is destined to return, haven't you noticed that no matter who he is, no matter what, he can't kill him, it's always a little bit worse, it's always a mistake?" Because the next emperor star is him! ”

"I know." Chu Zhixia raised his head into the eyes of the ghost city lord and said calmly, "I have already seen the Emperor Star shining on Erdan once. ”

This time, it was the turn of the ghost city lord to froze.

"What did you say?"

"I said, I've already lost to him once." Chu Zhixia said word by word, "But I won't go." Like last time, I won't leave Yongxue Pass. ”

"You're going to die!" The ghost city lord was incredulous.

"I should have died a long time ago." Chu Shixia said surprisingly calmly, "I have been able to live until now because there are many people who have died for me. They firmly believe that my life is worthwhile, and that I am the last one who can resist the destiny of heaven. So I can't go, even if it turns out to be another loss. ”

"The sky is going to die in the Great Zhou, and I want to continue the national glory for the Great Zhou for another fifty years." Chu Zhixia said firmly, "Although this body is small and this strength is small, I am willing to be a stone in front of all beings when the wheel of fate overturns." Even though he died, he still did not give up. ”

The ghost city lord stared at her blankly for a moment, sat down weakly on the ground, hugged his head and muttered, "It's really worthy of her own birth, a top seed." ”

——

Luo Tong was bouncing under the city wall, holding a small stone and carving it on the wall. She was young, with a layer of baby fat on her cheeks that had not faded, and round eyes, looking innocent and harmless.

The soldiers, who were in between training breaks, thought of their daughters or sisters who were far away from home, and their hearts softened, so they took out the remaining rations and handed them to her.

Luo Tong accepted it with a smile, but did not eat it vigilantly.

Shen Zhou leaned on the railing of the tall building, overlooking the rabbit-like Luo Tong jumping in the middle of the iron armor.

"She's very likeable." Shen Zhou commented lightly.

Luo Shuangyi thought for a while and said, "It's probably because she laughs cutely." ”

Shen Zhou was a little surprised: "Do you still know what cuteness is?" ”

"General Xin Jian said." Luo Shuangyi said, "Does it mean that people can't be guarded?" ”

"Let her get out of the snow pass." Shen Zhou suddenly said, "There will be a war here soon." I know that there are frequent visions all over the country now, but with her ability, it is not a problem to survive alone in troubled times. ”

Luo Shuangyi didn't agree immediately, but said, "Family Master, do you know that a child as old as Luo Tong is already going to carry out the first assassination mission independently?" If she fails, she is purged; If successful, the other assassin will die. ”

"But?" Shen Zhou remembered that he had not let Luo Tong carry out the mission alone.

"But you didn't let her do such a mission." "Her companion is still alive. Unlike me, she is a crippled 'ghost', an incomplete person. It's also cruel for her to let her go back to a normal life now. ”

Shen Zhou was silent.

There was a sudden noise in the room, followed by the sound of a human body falling to the ground.

Like a leopard with its whiskers plucked, Shen Zhou turned around and rushed in, and the door panel was slammed into chaos. Chu Zhixia was wrapped in a map, his hair was scattered, his clothes were open, and he sat on the ground in a mess, looking crazy.

"I thought about it." Chu Zhixia's eyes seemed to be on fire, and he let Shen Zhou gouge her out of the pile of things, "I thought of it!" ”

"What?" Shen Zhou asked with a frown.

"Where's the ghost city master? I want to see him! ”

——

"You're going to build another wall outside the Snow Pass?" The ghost city lord couldn't believe his ears, and reached out to touch Chu Zhixia's forehead, "Are you feverish?" ”

"I'm not kidding." Chu Zhixia said seriously.

"Yongxue Pass is the first pass in the world, when the construction of this place, the Great Zhou collected 100,000 people, the construction of ten years before completion, and then continue to repair the copper wall only now. If you want to turn the tide of war with this wall, you are a fool's dream! The ghost city lord said bitterly, "Don't say whether Da Zhou has this people's power now, even if there is, it can only be your tombstone if it is repaired." ”

Shen Zhou couldn't bear to say, "Can you not be so vicious when you speak?" ”

The ghost city lord was not stunned at all, and said with a glare: "Now is not the time for you to beg me to solve the peach blossom miasma?" ”

Chu Zhixia stretched out his hand to mediate between the two of them, and said, "Shut up and listen to me." ”

"I don't need this wall to be high or strong, as long as it doesn't collapse."

"Then you can find anyone, what are you looking for me?" The ghost city lord said suspiciously, "I am a researcher of alchemy, astrology, and mechanical arts, not a mason. ”

"The walls were to be piped, filled with oil, filled with charcoal, sulphur and saltpeter, and laid with masonry." Chu Zhixia didn't realize what terrifying things he was saying, and the ghost city master's face changed.

"You're going to blow up the Snow Pass?"

"I'm going to blow up the main elite of Beidi." Chu Zhixia clenched his fist and smashed it on the table, saying, "In the open space between this city wall and the snow pass, pipes filled with fire oil will also be paved, and charcoal, sulfur and saltpeter will also be laid. When they break through the walls and enter the clearing, the gunpowder on the walls and the ground will detonate together. ”

With the equipment of the Beidi people, it is difficult to withstand such an explosion.

Yongxue Pass is the final battlefield of the Seven Great Battalions and Beidi, and it will also be a hell full of fire.

The ghost city lord figured out Chu Zhixia's face and realized that she was not joking, so Zhengse thought for a moment and said, "Yes." I can help you with the design and even supervise the whole process, but it will be a big project and it will cost a lot of money. ”

"I'll go to Guangling." Chu Zhixia said.

"We have the money." Shen Zhou said suddenly.

Chu Zhixia and the ghost city lord both looked at Shen Zhou in surprise.

"Isn't it weird? The Nine Shadows is a place where money is used to buy lives. Shen Zhou said calmly, "We have 100,000 taels of gold." ”

This is the number counted by Luo Shuangyi's return home, most of this gold has been melted into gold bricks, and it cannot be directly circulated in the market. But if the person to be used is the king of Zhenbei, there is no problem, she can melt the gold bricks into ingots, print the official seal, and turn it into a legitimate official silver.

The ghost city lord glanced at Shen Zhou sourly, and then said, "Where did the people who built the city wall come from?" Don't tell me you're going to let your soldiers fix it. ”

It is normal for soldiers to repair the city walls, but the snow pass is the time of the situation, and war may break out at any time, and not the slightest force cannot be wasted.

"Minfu." Chu Shixia said, "I will play the imperial capital and recruit people across the country." There are droughts of all sizes, and the people have food and shelter, which can also reduce the rebellion of the displaced people. His Majesty has no reason to disagree. ”

The ghost city lord hugged his arms, leaned back, leaned back in his chair and looked at Chu Shixia and said, "It sounds like everything is ready, only the east wind is owed." And one last question – time. ”

It is impossible for the Beidi people to watch the barrier rise outside the Yongxue Pass, and they will inevitably attack. Chu Zhixia must at least keep the Beidi people out of the construction front, otherwise if a citizen is arrested and the design intention is revealed, all the plans will be useless.

"How long will it take you?" Chu Zhixia asked.

"Let's see how many people you can recruit." The ghost city lord stretched out a finger and said, "It will take at least a year." ”

"I'll give you a year," Chu Shixia said, "and there are still 30,000 people." ”

"Countdown to the end."