The sixth year of Emperor Xin, autumn.

The corpses were strewn all over the field outside the Sanshan Pass, and there was a foul smell under the tall and cast city walls, and the city head was also full of flying arrows.

The stench of the golden juice, combined with the scorching smell of the wood when it burns, is enough to make all the rookies who are new to the battlefield can't help but vomit out the overnight meal in nausea.

On the head of the city is the golden rice grass border pattern Meng Ji military flag, and under the city wall is the red-clothed armor soldier who Ming Jin collected his troops and withdrew in an orderly manner, waving the banner of the Zhou army.

In the wilderness in the distance, the red Daxu surnamed Ji was waving in the wind, and the white-haired old man who was admired and worshiped by the world and nobles from all over the world was sitting in the main tent of the camp, reading the battle report carefully, frowning, and not saying a word.

The red tide receded, leaving a red mess, blood seeped through the red clothes, seeping on the ground, and the battlefield that was still wrapped in shouts just now became quiet in an instant, leaving only the high-pitched chirping of the black crow echoing in loneliness, enjoying the short time of eating after the war.

Wei Ben, the general of the Zhou State, carried the white truce flag, stood proudly in the center of the remnants of the battlefield, looked at the defenders on the city wall arrogantly, and ordered the servants to drive away the black crows, and collect the armor, weapons and corpses of the robes.

This is also a unique rule before the pre-Qin period, not to shoot when collecting, but to allow the enemy to retrieve the blade and armor, if it is placed in the Han Dynasty and later, the victor would rather rot in the wilderness, or burn to ashes, and it is impossible to let the enemy collect these materials so peacefully.

Well, if you can meet Jia Xu and Cheng Yu, these corpses will still be rare for armaments and materials.

The sun gradually set, and a half-curved waning moon slowly hung in the black sky.

Tonight, the moon is sparse, and the gentle moonlight is sprinkled on the earth, but it can't bring a trace of warmth to Xibohou Jichang, but feels a little autumn wind chill.

The white-haired old man walked alone in the open space in front of the camp in an animal skin robe, looking up at the white moon, and his thoughts gradually entered the memory.

"Fa'er~, my good hair! Where exactly did you go? Is it in Binzhou City? Or was he captured in Meng Ji's army? ”

If the world is stable, and the national policy of Zhou is still to recuperate and recuperate, then Ji Chang will continue to like his eldest son Bo Yi Kao.

But today's Zhou State, after many losses, was first taken out of his home by the dog Rong, and then went on an expedition to Mobei and Yiqu.

Immediately after that, the anointed meat grinding ground in Hexi made him an army of more than 100,000 people, and now he is trapped in Binzhou City, suffering from hunger and hardship, and suffering heavy casualties.

According to Nangong Shi's letter, the army of more than 100,000 is probably less than one-third now, and the longer the time drags on, he can't believe what kind of evil ghosts these sons will become.

Thinking of Ji Fa and Ji Dan, he was still just sad, but when he thought of these warriors and sons, the old man was already in tears, and silently wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve robe.

After dealing with the matter of the convergence of the robe, Wei Ben walked from outside the camp, looking a little anxious, and saw Ji Chang standing in the open space looking at the moonlight, the words just came to his mouth and swallowed back again, standing silently aside, not daring to disturb Ji Chang, he could only wait until the lord's mood returned to normal before reporting.

After a while, San Yisheng also held a thin volume of letters and walked in quickly.

Seeing this scene, he didn't say much, he also silently stopped talking, walked to Wei Ben's side, and asked softly.

"I heard that someone told me today and found out the news of the second son?"

Wei Ben nodded, turned his head and bowed in the northeast direction: "I came to tell you about this, and the merchant who came back from Meng Ji today told me that it was at the Meng Ji Political Affairs College, and I saw the second son and the third prince together, and they sat and talked with laughter. I haven't had time to say anything yet. ”

"Whew, it's okay, it's good in misfortune!"

"Alas!" San Yichang sighed, rubbed his swollen eyebrows, and had a headache: "As early as when Meng Ji rose, we discovered his threat, and we also used a lot of means to curb their development, but I didn't expect Meng Ji to develop so quickly, and in just a few years, he integrated Northern Xinjiang, and the golden platform cast by Meng Yan, the four major academies, almost included the world's talents." ”

"The third prince has set a 'good' example, there are many nobles in my Zhou Kingdom now, and Meng Ji began to secretly communicate with him, and secretly sent his children to Meng Ji to study, this time it is easy to go, but it is difficult to come back!"

"It's a bitter monarch, the second son who loves the most on weekdays, but now that he is in prison, I'm afraid it will be difficult to return to Xiqi."

For a while, the emotions of both of them were a little depressed, Meng Ji was like a huge swamp, siphoning countless talents, but there was rarely a chance to spit it out.

"Ah~~"

A sigh came from ahead.

Before the two of them could continue to sigh, Ji Chang had already turned around and walked up to them, and I was afraid that all the words he had said before would be heard to him.

Xi Bohou was not angry, but just like San Yisheng, he sighed sadly, and said again and again: "It's good to live, it's good to live, as long as people are still alive, they will have a chance in the future!" ”

Maybe he himself doesn't know if his second son will be imprisoned to death by Meng Jiyou like his father, but at least he is still alive, and he still has some hope in his heart.

"If there is something important in the future, there is no need to take into account my emotions, Zhou Guo is now a time of life and death, and any children's personal affairs must make concessions for the country's affairs, even I will not be an exception."

"No!"

Sensing that his henchmen and courtiers were not in a high mood, Ji Chang quickly put away his decadent emotions and asked jokingly: "Say, are you two here for one thing, or is it another disaster?" ”

San Yisheng took a step back and motioned for Wei Ben to go first.

"Lord, there are also happy events, today's storming of Sanshan Pass, although the vanguard of the former army, General Qiao Li was killed, but the resistance of the defenders has obviously begun to decline, it is less than half of what was three days ago, it is estimated that in a few days, Sanshan Pass will be broken!"

Ji Chang was a little puzzled: "I remember that there was a strange man on the Sanshan Pass, who was considered to have met Meng Wei in Weimo, and called Bian Ji, did he not make a move?" ”

Wei Ben shook his head: "In the days when I just started to attack the city, I also saw Bian Ji Xiao'er climbing the city wall to supervise the battle, and it seems that he has disappeared in the last few days. ”

After saying this, Wei Ben still had some regrets, and he still had a trace of hope in his heart to force Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun to intervene.

"Oh no, the situation has changed!"

Sanshan Pass is impregnable, Ji Changdu is ready for a long-term siege, how can there be a sudden turnaround?

If something goes wrong, there must be a demon!

At this time, when he heard that Bian Ji had disappeared for several days, where could he still calm down, he immediately called the guards to prepare horses, and wanted to go outside the gate to find out.

San Yisheng silently grabbed Xibohou, who seemed to know more than Wei Ben, and said with a heavy heart: "Lord, today I received a news report from Chaoge City, Donglu Jiang Bohou was seriously ill after the previous Huaishui disaster, and died of illness in the winter of last year. ”

"Jiang Wenhuan, the young master of Donglu, was first established, the foundation was unstable, Xuzhou and Huaiyin seemed to have abnormal movements, and the fertile land of Dongyi was destroyed, and it was in the midst of famine.

"Wen Taishi has not returned from Jizhou City, and Emperor Xin, the king of Shang, has personally led the Song King to aid Donglu despite the dissuasion of Cheng Bigan."

"Northern Xinjiang is closer to Chaoge, and now Meng Ji is in charge of Jiang Ziya, but today he suddenly withdrew the defenders of Sanshan Pass, and the minister is suspicious ......"

Speaking of this, San Yisheng hesitated, didn't dare to continue to say it, and looked at Ji Chang hesitantly, with an ugly expression on his face, as if saying the following was a great challenge for him.

"Don't worry, don't you just want to say that Meng Ji wants to borrow my Zhou Guo's hand and give Chaoge a heavy blow?"

"The minister really wants to say no, Meng Bohou can be willing to go to the danger to meet the king in the court, and he can go to the south of Xinjiang alone to take risks, his heart and ambition, the world can learn from it, how can a person like him make such a decision?"

If the previous benevolent and righteous appearances were all disguises, San Yisheng didn't dare to imagine how terrible Meng tasted.

"Hmph, his prime minister is not a fuel-efficient lamp! It's ridiculous that Meng Wei still wants to be alone and firmly guard the family business in Northern Xinjiang, but as everyone knows, the most unpredictable thing in the world is people's hearts. ”

"When he gets the Dirt City, he will want to go to the Thirteen Cities of the Beihai Sea, and when he gets the Thirteen Cities, he will go to look at the entire Beihai Realm, the national fortune is to sail against the current, he wants to be stable, but those new and old nobles who have followed him have already tasted the sweetness will not stop."

"In this case, let's increase the offensive, it may not take a few days, and tomorrow Sanshan Pass may become an empty city!"

Seeing Ji Chang's categorical definition, Wei Ben was a little puzzled.

"Lord, do you mean that Meng Ji wants to strike a truce with us?"

"Alas!"

An old-fashioned sigh sounded, and Ji Chang turned his back again and looked at the semicircular crescent moon in the sky.

"It's hard to have both worlds!"

"The thoughts of those people, I don't have to guess to think that the Sanshan Pass is opened, and the road leading to Binzhou City must be heavily guarded, and the only road that can be passed is to pass through from the southern border of Binzhou, capture Tongguan, go down to the Jiepai Pass, and approach Chaoge City!"

The more Wei Ben listened, the more confused he became, and asked blankly, "Why are we going to fight Tongguan?" Aren't we going all the way north to Binzhou City to save the general? ”

"Because Meng Ji needs us to go south." Seeing that Ji Chang was deep in thought, San Yisheng added in a timely manner.

"We have long legs, why should we listen to the arrangements of Meng Ji's gang? He won't let us go to Binzhou City, wouldn't it be good if we fought all the way? ”

San Yisheng rubbed his temples and had a headache, General Wei has the courage of ten thousand people, but don't treat him as a rammer, at this time, he could only look at Wei Ben deeply, and continued with a calm breath.

"A weak country has no diplomacy, since the day the general was trapped in Binzhou City, my Zhou State can be regarded as a change of form with Meng Ji's attack and defense, of course we can freely choose to go north or south."

"This is also Jiang Ziya's opportunity to give us a choice, if we go north, it will be the dispute between Zhou Ji, we are rebellious ministers and thieves, they are ordered by the king to guard Binzhou."

"We lost, Zhou Guo will be trapped in Xiqi City after that, more seriously, it is not impossible to destroy the country directly, and if we win, Meng Ji is not a soft bone, gnaw down Meng Ji's main force, can our Zhou Guoan be safe? At that time, they will still be the heroes of the Great Shang guarding the frontier, and what we will face will inevitably be the iron hooves of the king's master! ”

San Yisheng is a little painful, the situation is very good, but now that he has developed this step, he can't blame others, and he can't blame himself.

Meng Ji's development was too fast, so fast that Zhou Guo and Dashang were a little helpless when they looked at this land of hidden dragons.

If Meng Ji is defeated, this is also an excellent thing for the big merchants, and if Meng Ji is defeated, it will become a situation where only Zhou Guo is injured.

No matter who wins or loses, it means that it is difficult for Zhou Guo to have the strength to win the championship.

Wei Ben asked a little sneeringly: "That...... So we're going south? Defeat Chaoge and be the co-master of the world? ”

"Aren't we really going to be chaotic ministers and thieves like Su Hu? If the first battle is successful and occupies the orthodox righteousness, it can be slowly suppressed in the future, but in case there is a good one, my good general! The whole world is the enemy! ”

Although he said this to Wei Ben, San Yisheng's eyes kept looking at Ji Chang, his palms were clenched, and his short nails were directly embedded in his palms, overflowing with blood.

There was silence between the three of them until a moment later, Ji Chang took out the map from his arms, pointed to the connection between Jizhou and Tongguan by the dim candlelight from the tent.

"In fact, it is not a complete dead end, this place is called Muye, the mountains and rivers are steep, the trees stand in a forest, from the west of Qi, pass two passes, you can enter the land west of the Binzhou River, go down if you bypass the Tongguan Pass, the Jiepai Pass, you can go down from the Mengjin ferry, go directly to the west of Muye, and Muye to the east, it is the city of songs."

"Ten years, I sent merchants to pass through here, along the way in the mountains and forests to open paths, set up secret posts and post points, just to wait for the future when the king of Shang again treacherous, to prepare for emergencies, now the road to the mountains and forests has not been fully excavated, I did not want to expose it too early."

"Alas, since God is destined for the rise of my Zhou Kingdom, why should there be a person of destiny like Meng Wei, who is rare to see in the ages?"

The atmosphere was a little depressing, and San Yisheng imagined the bright future that he and Xibohou looked forward to because of the rise of Xiqi thirty years ago, when he and Xibohou were still high-spirited young people.

Obviously, nothing was wrong, and everything was going smoothly according to the plan, but before their banner of righteousness was raised, Meng Ji was like a sudden rainstorm, which instantly poured the raging fire of the Zhou State out of his heart.

"What's the use of sighing and sighing? Doctor San Yisheng, the lord, Wei Ben is a rough man, and he doesn't understand so much about the overall situation and general trend, but Wei Ben can't eat this mouthful. ”

Wei Ben hatefully slapped the armor on his body with hatred, his eyes were full of resentment and perseverance, and he continued angrily: "I only know that the general is still in Binzhou City, since it is a dead end, even if we want to destroy, we must live and die with our brothers, go to Binzhou City!" Lord! ”

"Take the general back, the people of Zhou have never been afraid of any challenge, nor are they afraid of death!"

Ji Chang's sleeve robe brushed the corner of his eyes, patted Wei Ben's shoulder heavily, looked at San Yisheng expectantly and said, "What did San Qing teach me?" ”

San Yisheng bowed down to pay respects, bent down heavily, and responded solemnly: "In the past, when the bamboo forest gathered, Yisheng and the general, Dr. Hong Yao, and General Tai Ying visited the lord, and vowed to do their best for the rise of the Zhou State, and his greatest wish was to end the brutal and untrustworthy barbaric rule of the successive Shang kings. ”

"Yisheng begged the lord today, with the common people in the world as his thoughts, bypassing Tongguan and taking Muye directly!"

Ji Chang retracted his expectant gaze, there seemed to be a sharp flash in his eyes, turned his back, put his hands on his waist behind him, and asked coldly: "Doesn't Sanqing also want to go to Meng Ji?" ”

"Yisheng is not for himself, everything is for the continuation of Ji Zhou."

"Lord, the rise of Meng Ji is unstoppable, and if you fight to the death with Meng Ji, in the end, my Zhou State and Meng Ji will be liquidated by the big merchants. And the merchant is the best of both worlds, we can solve the siege of the general, so that my only remaining tens of thousands of troops can go home, the second can make Meng Ji admit his feelings, the country is picturesque, if Meng Ji does not take, weaken the big merchant can make my Zhou State unharmed, if Meng Ji takes it, the Zhou State can also wait for the princes to wait for the time. ”

San Yisheng lowered his head, in fact, the meaning was very clear, either Meng Wei replaced Di Xin, in this case, with Meng Wei's reputation, Zhou would still be the prince of the West, the most powerful prince.

He doesn't take the best, the Zhou State is determined by the first war, as long as he can occupy the righteousness, he can eat most of the dividends of the Shang Dynasty, recuperate for a few years, and with the name of righteousness, are you afraid that you can't sanction Meng Ji in the name of the princes of the world?

That's right, but Wei Ben was furious, and rushed over as soon as he saw the posture, looking at the posture, he was afraid that he was going to give a fat beating to San Yisheng.

But before he could make a move, Xibohou had already grabbed San Yisheng's hand with a smile and responded happily.

"Those who know me, Yisheng also!"

"General Wei, let's go and gather the elite soldiers in the army, you don't need too much, just the elite armor, don't tell where you are going for the time being, just be ready to go over the mountains and mountains, and run long distances."

Wei Ben seemed to be about to say something more, but he was grabbed by San Yisheng's arm with a heavy face, and looked at him mockingly.

Wei Ben was stunned, his chest tightened and he snorted shortly of breath: "No! ”

When Ji Chang turned back to the camp, Wei Ben reprimanded San Yisheng with disdain: "Doctor San, Doctor San, Wei Ben saw that you were the best to talk on weekdays, but I didn't expect to be so spineless?" ......"

San Yisheng didn't wait for Wei Ben to speak, and interrupted with a bitter face: "Why does General Wei pretend to be confused? The sovereign has already made up his mind, and all he needs is a scapegoat who can make decisions for him. Now that Yisheng has said these words for you, I am afraid that before dawn, Yisheng's infamy will spread all over the five armies, and it will stink. ”

“……”

"General Wei has always dared to love and hate, but today he only knows anger, his mouth is hot, and there is no movement in his hands, anyway, this strategy has been said from my mouth, why do you have to poke Yisheng's heart in private?"

"Scold, scold, instead of letting everyone's faith collapse, it's better to let me bear all this infamy, as long as we can protect ourselves, we will have the opportunity to plan for future changes in the future."

After saying this, San Yisheng leaned his body, as if he had become old in an instant, and walked towards the outside of the camp with great interest.

Wei Ben was left alone with tears in his eyes, gritting his teeth and bowing down to him.

(End of chapter)