Looking at Xue Wenlu's expression, Wei Chihong's heart became apprehensive, but he had to bite the bullet and say:

"When the news just arrived, there was indeed a lot of panic in Zhongjing City, and some of those who saw the opportunity quickly were packing up their belongings and preparing to flee, but the Southern Dynasty court was not panicked."

Xue Wenlu frowned, "Why is this, my Liang Iron Cavalry and the Swift Army went out of Swift Prefecture, and on the way to Zhongjing in the Southern Dynasty, they were able to march to Bishui Pass in a few days, how could they not panic?" Are all the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty dead? ”

Wei Chihong replied: "The lower officials were also puzzled originally, but after many inquiries, they learned that someone in the court of the Southern Dynasty learned the news first, and then did not hesitate, and immediately summoned the important ministers to meet in the middle of the night, calming the hearts of the ministers. Thinking that these important ministers are not chaotic, and the upper and lower levels are effective, the yamen and the people will naturally not be in chaos, even if we incite some rumors, we will not be able to win the trust of the people. ”

Xue Wenlu's brows furrowed even more, "The important ministers of the court are not fools, why should they believe it?" Who has such prestige? Prime Minister of the Southern Dynasty? Or the former prime minister Su Zongzhe? Or is it the white-clothed emperor? ”

"It's Xia Jingyun, the Marquis of Jianning in the Southern Dynasty."

Hearing this name, Xue Wenlu came up with information about this upstart of the Southern Dynasty from his memory.

Before coming, he also made a special trip to meet the Southern Dynasty Shangshu Wang Ruoshui, who defected from the Southern Dynasty and was captured by his father and sent to Liangdu.

But then he felt incredible, "If it's him, it will be even more bizarre, the people in the court of the Southern Dynasty are not mud bodhisattvas, he suddenly ascended to a high position at a young age, and he is not enough to convince the public, why should everyone believe it?" ”

Wei Chihong glanced up at him, hesitated for a moment, but still said stubbornly: "According to the information that Xia Guan had, it was Xia Jingyun who analyzed it when he was discussing the matter that night, our Daliang is not rushing to destroy the country, just hold on to the first battle, and the overall situation will be stable, so that everyone should not panic, first concentrate on preparing for war, and then for the sake of An Qunchen's heart, he made a prediction."

Xue Wenlu waited for a moment but didn't hear the following, his brows furrowed, "What are you doing?" ”

"He said that if he guessed correctly, there would definitely be an embassy from my Daliang, and then yesterday evening, the news of His Royal Highness the prince's entry into Zhongjing came to Zhongjing."

The corners of Xue Wenlu's mouth couldn't help twitching.

According to the original plan, he stayed in southern Xinjiang, waited for Murong Hu on the eastern front to enter the country at the same time, and when the news came out, he was also halfway there, and then let the spies of the Embroidery Bureau create panic in the capital of the Southern Dynasty, and then he could make a strong debut in the panic of the Southern Dynasty and the opposition, and force the orphans and widows of the Southern Dynasty to set the overall situation in the situation of external and internal troubles.

Unexpectedly, he became a bargaining chip for the Southern Dynasty to stabilize people's hearts.

He took a deep breath, "Okay, this son knows, you have worked hard, go down!" Oh, immediately send a message to the Southern Frontier Army, Jiang Yuhu has returned to the camp, let them be careful. ”

"Thank you, Shizi. Xiaguan will do it! ”

With a kind of happiness for the rest of his life, Yu Chihong hurriedly retreated.

Thinking of Wang Ruoshui's warning, thinking of Jiang Yuhu's words last night, Xue Wenlu squinted his eyes and showed a cold light.

"Xia Jingyun"

——

At the same time, outside the Zhongjing City, the procedures for taking the stage to pay respects to the generals had been completed, and Xia Yunfei led the 15,000 elite soldiers temporarily gathered from Yulin, Huben, and the patrol battalion out of the capital.

The infantry army had already gone first, and Xia Yunfei, who had bid farewell to the imperial court's send-off team and his family, took his direct guards to the pavilion ten miles east of the city.

Xia Jingyun waited in the pavilion, watching Xia Yunfei stride in, he picked up the prepared wine bowl and handed it over, and then said: "The military supplies are enough for two days, and then there will be grain and grass delivered along the way, until the city of Langya Prefecture." ”

Xia Yunfei nodded, and naturally fully believed in his cousin's arrangement.

"In addition, the fifty sets of armor and weapons equipped for your own soldiers, you should think about it carefully, and don't throw it away at will, they are all absolute divine weapons that will be made by the prison at the moment."

Xia Yunfei snorted, "I'll use them on the blade." ”

"Brother Chen and Brother Lu are going with you, no matter what, their personal combat power is not bad, even if they follow you to protect everything, it is good."

Xia Yunfei was already aware of this decision, and after the objection was invalid, he didn't say more, and said in a deep voice: "I will live up to your expectations!" ”

After saying what should be said, Xia Jingyun didn't seem to know what to say for a while, but in this situation, it seemed unreasonable not to say something, so he didn't want to make it the same as parting with life and death, so he chuckled and said, "You really don't need me to ask Second Master Jiang to go out of the mountain to help you?" ”

Xia Yunfei suddenly smiled, "If the son knows in the future, I'm afraid he will kill me, not to mention that with the second master, I have a lot of reliance in my heart, but I can't show my full potential." ”

"You don't need to worry too much, I just tried you that day, how can a huge court collapse if you defeat more than 10,000 people. Let go and make your own arrangements for the follow-up. If it's really impossible, save it! Stay in the green mountains without worrying about no firewood. ”

Xia Yunfei nodded and raised the wine bowl, "Wansheng!" ”

Xia Jingyun also raised the wine bowl, "Wan Sheng!" ”

Dropping off the bowl, he bowed deeply to the crowd waiting on his horse.

Everyone, including Chen Fugui and Lu Yi, hugged their fists in return.

This is life and death, but it can also be death.

Watching Xia Yunfei lead the team away, the smile on Xia Jingyun's face slowly disappeared, leaving only complete solemnity.

He originally had a backhand in Swift State, but whether that backhand could work this time and what role it could play, no one could say.

And the most critical point is that Zhang Dazhi, who will be the supervisor, has only been able to get the original soil blast furnace up for a few days, and this is the output, and he has stayed up late to make this point, which is far from the level of the crushing of the productivity of the farming flow.

In this battle, he still thinks that he has made the most reasonable decision, but the final result is still not completely under his control.

Just like the original seizure of the door, he can plan everything, try his best to accumulate his own advantages, and disintegrate the opponent's advantages, but in the end, he must return to the real sword and real gun.

He took a deep breath and dissipated the gloom in his heart, since some things are out of control after all, let's do something under control.

For example, think about what kind of gift to prepare for the prince of Northern Liang who is about to come with the ambition of Emperor Liang.

He rubbed his hands, sighed, exhaled a flash of white gas, and walked to the carriage beside the road.

The elite guards sent by the Su family and the Qin family respectively escorted this most eye-catching young man in the capital city back to the city.

——

Changshan County, Changshan County Lieutenant Zhang Hutou waved the big knife in his hand, an oblique split, cut down the enemy who rushed forward, a shield in his hand, blocking the sneak attack of the enemy on the left, twisting his body, holding the knife handle upside down, and cutting the opponent's throat with a knife.

An enemy soldier who jumped up the city wall behind him saw his back exposed, and immediately slashed at him, raised his tiger head shield again, and stabbed a spear in the oblique stab, stabbing the enemy to the heart.

Zhang Hutou strode forward, kicked the enemy army off the city, and knocked down a few enemy soldiers who climbed up the ladder along the way, and then nodded to the soldiers on the side, "Hold here!" ”

So saying, he supported the rest of the place.

I don't know how long I forgot how long I tired of rushing and fighting, and the city was like a small boat tossed in the wind and waves, crumbling several times, but it was stubbornly carried down in the insistence of the soldiers who did not want to die.

Outside the city walls, the corpses of the Swift Army were piled up in an unknown number of layers, and the defenders at the head of the city, even the last reserves, had been sent.

When the light and shadow slanted westward, but the ears were not as yesterday, the sound of Mingjin withdrawing troops came, and Zhang Hutou's complexion changed suddenly.

These dogs are going to fight at night!

As if echoing his thoughts, rows of torches lit up on the position across the riverbank, illuminating the battlefield.

Zhang Hutou took a deep breath, and the thick bloody gas poured in from his nostrils, and his swollen head was excited, and he shouted in a hoarse voice: "Hold on, the thief has no choice, carry this breath, let's hold on!" ”

In the large camp opposite, Dongfang Ping sat in the tent of the Chinese army, looking at the map in front of him, a general walked in and knelt on one knee, "Dashuai!" The sons and daughters have suffered heavy casualties, and they still don't withdraw their troops? ”

Both sides on the battlefield were made up of people, and the battle damage reached a certain level, and no one could bear it.

Whatever you are the first to win the great reward of changing your life, and what temptation of gold and silver treasures, then you must also have a life to take.

They are all soldiers who eat food, and watching the robes around them fall one by one, there are few who can endure and not be greedy.

Originally, the battle damage of the siege was much higher than that of the defending side, and if you continue to fight like this, I am afraid that your side will not be able to bear it first.

Dongfang Ping's expression was indifferent, "There are only three thousand defenders in Changshan County, and now they are even more powerful, if they can't be taken in one go, when they recover their vitality, it will be even more difficult to bite!" We must expand our territory as much as we can before the court reacts. ”

He looked up at the other party, "Order, the first ascendant official will be promoted by three levels, the women in the city will be selected, and after the city is broken, each person will be rewarded with ten taels of silver!" Then, let the overseer team go up, there are those who cower and do not fight, slash! ”

The general looked at the unquestionable determination on his face, and had no choice but to clench his fists and retreat.

Under the new measures and stimulus, the Swift Army regained momentum, and the defenders of Changshan County, who were already about to be exhausted at the head of the city, increased sharply.

No matter how Zhang Hutou and the others shouted and struggled, the number of people was a hurdle they couldn't overcome after all.

The 3,000 men carried the other side for a whole day to attack without stopping, and they also suffered heavy casualties.

It seems that the city will be broken only sooner or later.

Zhang Hutou's hand danced more and more slowly, the exhaustion of strength was one thing, and the dissipation of heart qi was even more deadly.

The blood that originally supported his body gradually receded, and fatigue and fear began to occupy his mind, and he couldn't help but have a thought: That's it, I'll do my best, and I'll die a hundred!

Just when he was about to be unable to resist the devil who gave up in his heart, a sudden noise sounded behind him.

I saw that Lord Taishou, who had always been weak, led a large group of officials and guards and rushed towards the city wall.

The armor was crooked on them, and the blades were comical in their hands, but.

Zhang Hutou's heart suddenly shook, his blood rushed to his head, and he yelled: "Meet the enemy!" ”

On the city wall, the Swift Army, which had just successfully climbed to the top of the city and carved out a small area, was driven down in the inexplicable re-energization of the defenders.

With the addition of the new force, the position was re-stabilized, but the combat effectiveness of the guards was not as good as that of the normally trained sergeants.

Zhang Hutou sighed lightly in his heart, manpower is poor, if the other party still attacks at such a cost, his own side will not be able to bear this point after all.

He turned his head to look at the southern wall, which was the only direction in which the rebels had not attacked, a retreat for them, and a temptation for the demons.

A voice at the quiet gate said, "Run!" You have already fought like this, you are worthy of the court, why bother losing your life here! Leave the green mountains without worrying about the lack of firewood, leave the people who can fight, go to the next city, and reorganize the team to prepare for the war is the right way now!

He looked at Lord Taishou, who was enthusiastic at the moment, shouting in his mouth and swearing to live and die with the city, and his heart was a little unbearable.

I can't bear to pierce the other party's dream that you can keep as long as you work hard, and I can't bear to leave the other party as a cowardly deserter.

Although he thinks it is the more correct choice.

"General! Look! ”

A shout of cheer from the soldiers woke him from his numb slashing, and in the darkness of the night a fiery dragon suddenly lit up on the west side of the city, and then quickly rushed to the north gate, where the battle was fiercest, beneath the city.

The Swift Army, which was concentrating on attacking the city, was slammed into by a cavalry that rushed out of this oblique thorn, and the sergeants, who were already at the critical point of the collapse of battle damage, saw that the opponent's reinforcements arrived, and instantly lost their fighting spirit and retreated.

The Overseer was about to move their swords when the sound of Mingjin closing the troops sounded in the rear.

Looking at the retreating enemy troops like a tide, almost everyone on the city wall sat on the ground, not even bothering to move their fingers.

Zhang Hutou was the same, but he still didn't forget his qualities as a soldier, and after sitting down, he opened his mouth to remind Taishou, "My lord, quickly release reinforcements into the city!" ”

As for whether it is possible that the enemy is pretending to be any reinforcements, that is no longer in the scope of consideration, without this reinforcement, the city will not be able to survive the next attack.

When the reinforcements entered, everyone who was excited before found that the so-called reinforcements were only a few hundred.

Taishou looked at the person who led the troops, the other party was wearing half a mask, covering his eyes and nose, as if he didn't dare to show his true face, and he hesitated a little, but there was no way to do it now, so he had to step forward, "Dare to ask the respected general, but in the name of Lord Qinzhou Mu to help?" ”

Originally, Lan Tingwang, the governor of Langya Prefecture, had already gone to Zhongjing to take up his post, and the new Qinzhou Mu had just arrived, and he sent an envoy to report the letter yesterday, so he would naturally make this conjecture at this moment.

"The city of Langya Prefecture is the top priority, and at present, the Langya Prefecture also has a heavy task to suppress bandits, and Qin Zhoumu has no remaining troops to send."

In Taishou's heart suddenly cooled, the masked general took out a token from his arms, and continued: "Although there are no soldiers in the state city, there are soldiers in the imperial court, we are the vanguard of reinforcements who came on the order of the center, the army has already moved, please be sure to stick to the city, reject the enemy outside the wolf's tooth state, and the imperial court will have its own rewards after the war!" ”

After speaking, he threw the token, Taishou took the token and saw that it was indeed a central secret order, and he was suspicious when he learned that the reinforcements were still behind him, and he was even more relieved and overjoyed, "The general's coming, such as a long drought and a rainstorm, please rest assured that the general will defend the city with all his might, and swear to live and die with this city." Come! Ask the general and the soldiers to go and rest, and arrange a good house for the general! ”

The masked general shook his head, "The situation is urgent, and there is no chance to rest, so I will go to the city wall and send someone who can win the trust of the soldiers to accompany me." In addition, find some winter clothes to keep out the cold with the soldiers. ”

When Taishou heard this, he couldn't help but be surprised, "The general is right, and he is still resting at such a critical juncture, and the official immediately organized people to inspect the city and pacify the people. Shajun Cheng, you will walk with the general, and obey the general's orders! ”

The masked general clenched his fists, led his soldiers, and went up the city wall accompanied by the county prince.

There have been a lot of damage on the city wall, at the same time, the collection of remnants, the preparation of the city defense equipment, the arrangement of sergeants to rest in shifts, etc., all need to be done at the critical juncture before dawn, Rao has more than 100 personal soldiers to help, after more than two hours of busy these, the night has come to the deepest time.

Jun Cheng walked over, with a little admiration, "General, the lower official has brought a few futons to the compartment of the city tower, made the bed, prepared some wine and food, you can go and take a nap for a while!" ”

The masked general shook his head, "Have you ordered all the houses to be demolished?" Can the homeless settle in compensation? ”

"It's all done, the house is being demolished, and the craftsmen are rushing to make the equipment. Tomorrow the war will start again, and the general will have to recuperate! ”

The masked general nodded, "Thank you." ”

As he spoke, he strode to the castle compartment, asked again if he could prepare it for the sergeants, and after receiving an affirmative answer, he began to eat the food and drink without hesitation.

As they ate, a shadow blocked the not bright lights of the cubicle.

He glanced up and continued to eat as if nothing had happened.

Zhang Hutou stood across from him, looking at him with burning eyes, and said in a low voice, "Who are you?" ”

"I said it. It's your reinforcements. ”

"Bullshit!" Zhang Hu let out a low roar, and his already hoarse voice pulled out a voice like a roar, "You can deceive Taishou, you can't deceive me!" It has only been three days since we received the news from Yuyan Prefecture, and it will take two days and two nights to gallop from here to the imperial court, where are the reinforcements from the imperial court! Will the Queen Mother and Her Majesty be unpredictable?! ”

The masked general didn't refute, but said lightly: "That champion duke, Xia Shangshu, is known as wise and close to the demon, what if he really has no prophet?" ”

"You" Zhang Hutou wanted to scold but didn't dare to scold the person who had a good reputation among the people, and now he was the powerful and powerful head of the household, he breathed a sigh of indignation, he suddenly stretched out his hand and grabbed the mask on the other party's face, "I want to see who you are!" ”

But the masked general's movements were faster than him, his right forearm swung up, his five fingers became claws, grabbed the opponent's arm, pulled and pushed, and then his legs exerted force, bounced up, bullied forward, and his left hand grabbed Zhang Hutou's left arm, twisted it, and pressed his right elbow against his back, pressing it down against the wall, and firmly restrained.

"I told you, and I'll say it again, I'm here to help you. I will help you defend this city against the hooves of the Northern Liang barbarians and the Swift rebels. ”

Zhang Hu put his face against the wall and snorted coldly, "To put it lightly, the current situation is dangerous, and the slightest carelessness will lead to the destruction of the city, will you accompany us?" ”

The masked general actually smiled and said slowly: "If the city is broken, the city will be broken, and if you die, you will die, and you will die in this way, you will not regret it." ”

——

In Yanyuan Prefecture, Jiang Yuhu, who was traveling quickly, stopped again and found a post station to rest.

This time, without the disturbance of the Beiliang mission, the whole army of Wudang was able to eat and drink in a warm room, and then sit on the mat, leaning against the wall, and sleep warmly.

Jiang Yuhu took off his battle armor, put on his robe, spread out the map, and slowly swept his fingers across the entire northern frontier, frowning and pondering.

Just as he was secretly deciding in his heart and was about to give the order, there was a sound of horses' hooves downstairs.

Soon, a guard arrived with a dusty messenger.

"Meet the king of Anguo County, the villain Jianning Houfu's retainers, my son-in-law has a letter, please ask the king of Anguo County to open it personally."

As he spoke, the messenger took out a secret letter from his bosom and raised his hands. (End of chapter)