The county government in the early morning seemed extraordinarily quiet, and only a few early maids could be seen in the backyard, holding firewood and holding bowls and basins, in a hurry. The two followed the maid with the washing copper basin to a room, and the maid closed the door after entering, only to hear a female voice inside: "Your master has not come all night, I think he is sleeping in the study again, and I will bring the basin of water again in a while, and I will personally bring it to the master." The maid whispered and agreed, and the two of them withdrew with the sound of washing. Without bothering much, they found the study, Chen Yuan and Gu Ming stuck on the door and listened for a while, each showing puzzled looks.

"No breath?" Gu Ming asked with a suppressed voice.

"Hmm." Chen Yuan nodded.

"Not in there?" Gu Ming asked again.

Chen Yuan didn't answer, pointed in, and the two of them quickly pushed the door and flashed into the house, the door only opened and closed, as if it had not been blown open by a weak wind, without a sound.

Wang Yunshan sat in front of the desk, his eyes closed, like a sculpture. To outsiders, it seemed that the county lord was meditating, and he was settled, but Chen Yuan and Gu Ming knew that he had long since lost his breath, and they couldn't hear the breath of a living person inside from outside the door. Chen Yuan stepped forward slowly, Wang Yunshan's bookcase was covered with a few pieces of rice paper, the ink was also studied, the pen was licked up, and it was put on the inkstone, but the wolf had already dried up, and it seemed that he had been angry for a long time. There was a book of poems spread out on the side, and I thought I was about to copy some poems. Chen Yuan patted Wang Yunshan on the shoulder, and he fell like a puddle of mud. Chen Yuan lightly uncovered the placket of the county lord's clothes, and only said two words: "Fate is scattered." ”

Gu Ming and Chen walked out of the backyard of the county government and walked slowly towards the gambling house at the other end of the city, where there were already scattered cooking smoke and open stores on the street.

"What's the situation?" Gu Ming asked.

"Ji Tongcheng thought I was hired to kill him, and said a few names." Chen Yuan said, "It doesn't matter if the others are the others, either they are occupied by him, or they are against him in other businesses." ”

"It's all for money." Gu Ming said

"Well, there is only this county master, I don't know why Ji Tongcheng thought that the county master was going to kill him." Chen Yuan said.

"It's because I know what Ji Tongcheng has done, and what scruples do I have, it's not easy to do on the surface. Or is the county prince an accomplice, and the officials and businessmen colluded to kill Ji Tongcheng and destroy him. Gu Ming said.

"I don't know, I originally planned to finish Ji Tongcheng's vein this night, and then slowly sort out his while the news has not reached Wang Yunshan's ears."

"Maybe the news has reached his ears, when I was sweeping the gambling house, those people were studying the body of the man whose throat was sealed by you." Gu Ming paused, and then said, "I'm afraid that I will commit suicide in fear of sin." ”

Chen Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "It's too early. Then he said: "Even if he is a nest with Ji Tongcheng's snakes and rats, he will do these hurtful things." If you want to commit suicide in fear of sin, you have to wait until you know that eighty percent of you have been confirmed. Now he only knew that Ji Tongcheng's minions had been killed, and he didn't know what happened to Ji Tongcheng himself, and he didn't even send anyone out to ask. ”

"And he also died of the same poison as Ji Tongcheng and the others." Gu Ming said, full of questions: "Isn't this poison a bottle in Yincheng?" ”

"The demon monk was seriously injured when he came out of Wuxiangtian and was chased all the way. He had no choice but to hide in this silver city in various parts of the Western Regions. Although Yincheng belongs to Nanqi, the county prince is also our imperial court official, but in fact, the Western Regions and Nanqi are indisputable and do not care, the demon monk has been healing and practicing in this city for four years, and the Western Regions that returned later took over Wuxiangtian. It's not surprising that there is poison made by him in this city, and maybe there is still his inheritance. Chen Yuan said.

"This is our land, why don't we care?" Gu Ming asked.

"Yincheng was ceded to the Western Regions by Ran Li, the soft egg emperor of my Nanqi, and he lost the battle of Liushapo that year and cut the six counties of Tianwolf." Chen Yuan said.

"The Six Counties of the Heavenly Wolf?" Gu Ming asked.

"Xiao Ming, back then, I said that I would take you down the mountain, but my uncle disagreed. You see, if you don't have a national hatred or family hatred, you don't even know the history of this dynasty. Chen Yuan said.

"Dad said, we are beyond the change of royal power, and the change of dynasty has nothing to do with us." Gu Ming scratched his head embarrassedly.

"In a family, it doesn't matter who is in charge of the eldest and second in charge." Chen Yuan paused, and said: "But if outsiders come over and want to be the master of the house and change the tablet of your ancestors, then they will not be able to transcend him, and they will have to surpass him." ”

"That's nature!" Gu Ming also said with a straight face.

Chen Yuan smiled, and continued: "It is said that it is the six counties of the Heavenly Wolf, but in fact, it is the six cities. The border between my Southern Qi and the Western Regions is in the shape of a bow, and the six counties are just on this bow arm. The northernmost is Qinggang City, the southernmost is Guyan Town, this silver city is the smallest, and it is also in the middle. If you put an arrow on this bow, you will put it on this silver city. Therefore, the six counties of the wolf are important frontier areas, and from these six counties, you can look northwest and shoot the wolf. ”

"Such an important city, just cut it?" Gu Ming asked.

"In the battle of Quicksand Slope that year, the prince personally conquered and was captured after losing the battle. Emperor Ran Li made an alliance with the Western Regions and exchanged the six counties of Tianluo for the crown prince. Chen Yuan said, "The prince folded an army of 300,000, and after returning to Beijing, he was suppressed by the second prince because of this matter and lost his foundation. Ran Li also abolished the crown prince soon after, and passed the throne to the second child, the second prince is the current emperor Ran Xiong, and the second uncle of the current emperor. ”

"How is the second uncle? The second prince of the year did not pass on the throne to his heirs? Gu Ming was puzzled.

"Ran Xiong only has one son and one daughter, and the only son is the current Ran Zheng, the king of Dingxi." Chen Yuan said, "Ran Xiong is indeed a martial artist, after ascending the throne for less than five years, he led 200,000 soldiers to drive the expedition in person, and his son Ran Zheng is also brave and good at fighting, and he is really a general." It only took one year for the father and son to beat the people of the Western Regions out of the six counties of Heavenly Wolf. ”

"As it should be! My mountains and rivers do not give up an inch of land. Gu Ming was also quite enthusiastic.

"But the location of the six counties of this Heavenly Wolf is really special, if there is a map, if you look at it, you will feel that these six counties seem to belong to the Western Regions." Tatsu Yuandao

"Why?" Gu Ming was puzzled.

"How did you and Daiji get here?" Chen Yuan asked rhetorically.

"The two of us went down the mountain to travel the rivers and lakes, and a few days later, they said that they would go to Beihu first to see the exotic customs. After traveling in Beihu for a few days, he went all the way west to the Western Regions, and he said that the Western Regions were not interesting, and it seemed that people still had to stay there, so the two of us turned back to the Central Plains from the Western Regions and arrived here. Gu Ming said.

"That's it, you didn't go through that desert." Tatsu Yuandao.

"What desert?" Gu Ming asked.

"You see that outside the city, surrounded by green hills, the water and grass are fertile. But it only takes more than 200 miles to the east to change color. In the middle of the six counties of Heavenly Wolf and the hinterland of my Central Plains, there is a large desert. How big is it, connect Qinggang City at the top of the bow arm with Guyan Town at the bottom of the bow arm with a bowstring, and then pull half a full bow, it's so big. It's all sand, as if all the sand in the world is here. Chen Yuan said.

"Is that so?" Gu Ming was surprised, and said, "Then it's really not easy for us to defeat the six counties of Heavenly Wolf." ”

"It's not easy, every time an army crosses the desert, it's one out of ten." Chen Yuan sighed, "And the enemies in the Western Regions will not give you a chance to recuperate, they have already waited on the edge of the desert a few days in advance, and our army has only left the desert, and they will immediately have to fight a tough battle." On the one hand, there are elite soldiers and strong generals who are waiting for work, and on the other hand, they are exhausted and traveling from afar, so every major battle is very tragic. ”

"If you can win in this way, you deserve to be my good son of Nanqi!" Gu Ming became more and more excited.

"Won and lost." Chen Yuan said again.

"What do you mean by my brother?" Gu Ming asked puzzled.

"Do you know how the prince's 300,000 army folded back then?" Chen Yuan asked rhetorically, seeing that Gu Ming was silent, he said again: "Back then, when the Western Regions invaded the border, the prince didn't know which strategist's strategy he listened to, and gathered all the 50,000 border soldiers from each of the six counties of the Heavenly Wolf in one place. If you want to unite the soldiers, you will never get rid of future troubles, and open the peace of eternity. At first, he repelled the invasion of the Western Regions, the prince was greedy for merit, intending to take advantage of the victory to pursue and level the Western Regions. Chen Yuan sighed after speaking.

Gu Ming also sighed, and heard Chen Yuan say like a dream: "300,000 soldiers, going deep into the Western Regions, never came back. With the prince's ambitions and fantasies, he disappeared together. ”

"Annihilation? Didn't come back alone? Gu Ming's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Don't talk about living people, even the corpse capital didn't send back a single corpse, but a year later, Ran Li exchanged the six counties of Heavenly Wolf for the crown prince." Tatsu Yuandao.

"Didn't the prince say how this battle was fought?" Gu Ming asked.

"It is said that the prince has been abnormal since he came back, and he is usually no different from ordinary people, but whenever he asks about it, he keeps saying 'It's gone, it's all gone, and when I turn around, it's all gone.'" and then yelled like crazy. After a long time, no one dared to ask. "Chen Yuandao.

"Hey! If you hadn't used troops like that, you wouldn't have ended up like this! Gu Ming said with remorse for the prince.

"Yes, that's why I said that the second prince later won and lost." Chen Yuan nodded and glanced at Gu Ming, and continued: "When the Chinese New Year's Eve was thirty thousand border soldiers, the soldiers were divided into six places, and each county was fifty thousand. 50,000 is no more and no less, and in case of an attack, it is enough to support the adjacent city. Every city must not only be defeated, but also defended. Back then, the father and son beat the six cities, but when they hit the sixth, the first five had been occupied by the people of the Western Regions. Because counting the losses in the desert, and the battle just out of the desert, the 200,000 army has been lost in two, and they really dare not divide their forces to defend the city. There are fewer people who are divided, and they can't hold the city, and there are more people who are divided, how can they build one and the next one? Therefore, the father and son attacked the next city with their front feet, and when they were about to take the next city, the city they had just captured was occupied by the Western Regions again. ”

"The demons of the Western Regions are really treacherous! If we continue like this, we will not be consumed! Gu Ming had already started grinding his teeth.

Ran Xiong also saw the final outcome, if he wanted to break this desperate situation, he had to have another 150,000 troops. But a few years ago, it only lost 300,000, and now it has brought out 200,000, and no matter how large the population of Nanqi is, it will not be able to make up 150,000 fighting forces in a short time. Chen Yuan sighed.

"Then how did we recover this Heavenly Wolf Six Counties?" Gu Ming asked.

"This is the lonely courage of Ran Zheng, the king of Dingxi." Chen Yuan said, "He told his father that he should only go back to sharpen his soldiers and horses, and the child will exchange his life for his life here, and he will kill him ten times more than ten times in a year's time!" The population of the Western Regions is less than half of my dynasty, and I will exchange my life for his life! When my father brings troops to help him a year later, if he can keep it, but if he can't keep it, I will kill him ten more times! Lao Tzu exchanged the last drop of blood for his last child in the Western Regions! When it came to the blood surge, he actually called Lao Tzu in front of his father, and Ran Xiong did not blame him. After Chen Yuan finished speaking, his blood was surging, and his eyes were shining.

"Hero! What a hero! Gu Ming jumped up and praised, his blood was nowhere to be released, and he pulled a single knife from behind his back, splitting a big hole in the road.

"But Ran Xiong is the emperor after all, and he is not as lonely as Ran Zheng, so he refused without thinking about it. But Ran Zheng's second strength had already come up, and the soldiers were also ignited, Ran Zheng snatched the emperor's sword and ordered the soldiers: 'All those who are slightly injured come out!' Send Your Majesty back to Beijing! The rest, follow me to death! Walk! So he left a team of less than 1,000 people for His Majesty Ran Xiong, and with crazy soldiers, he shouted to kill the heavens and the earth and kill him. Chen Yuan said.

"Our hero is really bold, so he is not afraid of His Majesty's guilt." Gu Ming said.

"At that time, His Majesty in the army had ordered not to move, and only Ran Zheng's order was obeyed. Ran Zheng also told Ran Xiong that he had no objection, and that he would kill him in the future, but he would not be able to swallow this breath today. The emperor was helpless, so he didn't return to Beijing, and followed his son to kill again, losing more than 20,000 people. Ran Zheng was not sad but happy, and said that he didn't expect that he could kill him back and forth seven or eight times. Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Seeing that I am about to kill for the third time, the envoy from the Western Regions is here." ”

"Emissary? What are you doing? Gu Ming asked.

"Please." Tatsu Yuandao.

"Please and?" Gu Ming asked in surprise.

Chen Yuan nodded and said with a smile: "Yes, I don't know if the Western Regions were scared by such a killing method that ended up together, or if Ran Zheng's bold words reached the ears of the Western Regions Royal Court and frightened, in short, I came to ask for peace." ”

Gu Ming also smiled and said: "Isn't this country and country the same as people, the hard ones are afraid of the horizontal, the horizontal are afraid of the dead, and the lifeless are afraid of the bent on death." ”

Chen Yuan was happy by Gu Ming's words, and continued: "So there is the current situation, the Western Regions have returned the six counties of the Heavenly Wolf on the surface, promising not to invade again, and Nanqi cannot garrison troops in the city." As the free city of the two countries, the people of both countries can come here to do business and live, but they can all be under the jurisdiction of Nanqi, and Nanqi can send officials and a certain number of soldiers to protect the people. ”

"That's fine, at least there won't be any more bloodshed and both losers, it's just that there are foreigners in the city, and the capital doesn't have the same." Gu Ming said.

"So it became the freest place, the most chaotic place, the most sinful place." Tatsu Yuandao.

"It's already very good, at least the people have a way to live. Slowly, sooner or later, one day will be completely controlled. Gu Ming said

"Yes, no matter how hostile the two countries are, what kind of hatred is there between ordinary and good people." Chen Yuan said, "That's it, our King Dingxi is not ready to agree!" threatened to kill until he had only one soldier left. It was after Ran Xiong clamped his head and covered his mouth and slapped him that he went to meet the envoy. Chen Yuan laughed out loud after speaking.

Gu Ming also smiled: "I didn't expect the blood of the King of Dingxi, who was afraid of the Western Regions Royal Court, solved the problem, and made great contributions." ”

"Yes, because of this incident, he lost his fate with the throne." Chen Yuan said again.

"Why? Even if it was decided that the king of the west would disobey the holy will, the result would be good. Gu Ming asked.

"Yes, the emperor drove the expedition in person, took 200,000 soldiers, returned to the dynasty in only one year, died less than forty percent in battle, and recovered the six counties of Tianwolf. No one from the princes to the common people did not praise this achievement. "Chen Yuandao.

"That's right! And if you want to talk about the first merit, it is the king of Dingxi. Gu Ming said.

The emperor did not deny Ran Zheng's merits, and even rewarded him lavishly. But he also said it himself, and it is not difficult to see through this battle that Ran Zheng does not have the virtue to be an emperor, only the ability to be a general. Then the fiefdom of Linze Prefecture, the king of the west, led 100,000 troops, and guarded Linze. Later, he took the initiative to give way to the child of the crown prince who was taken away by him back then, saying that the throne should have been his, and it was the current emperor - Ran Qin. ”

"Then this Ran Xiong really doesn't seem to have any selfish intentions, and he is only dedicated to the country." Gu Ming said.

"The civil and military officials and the people of the world all say so." Tatsu Yuandao.