Chapter 72 first quarter

When Chu Xiuhong walked past the big tree in front of the study in Marquis Wen's Mansion, a drop of bird droppings suddenly fell from the tree, hitting his shirt.He stopped, reached out and took out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe it off carefully, with a wry smile on his face. "Birds aiming at people is fierce." He remembered that legal magicians often said this sentence when they told people fortunes.Is this really a bad omen?He doesn't believe in fate, but he also believes that his path is not a smooth one.Living for more than twenty years is already a miracle. How many times I have brushed against death, the fate is obviously not determined by a little bird droppings.

He walked to the door of the living room of Marquis Wen's mansion, knelt down and said, "My lord, the last general, Chu Xiuhong, is very polite." "Chu Xiuhong, come in." Marquis Wen was standing in front of the window with his hands behind his back, feeding a bird on the shelf.The bird's feathers are not bright, and it is not big, but its claws are sharp and its beak is sharp. What Marquis Wen feeds is also cut into small strips of bloody blood. Obviously, the little bird is a small raptor.Chu Xiuhong stood behind Marquis Wen, lowered his hands and said, "My lord, the last general is here, what orders do you have?"

Marquis Wen put the last strip of meat in his hand near the beak of the little bird, and the bird snatched it away, held it down with its claws and bit it, and a strip of meat as thick as a finger was instantly torn into pieces.He looked at the little bird, and suddenly said, "Chu Xiuhong, do you know what this little bird is called?" Chu Xiuhong was startled.He didn't know why Marquis Wen asked this.He looked at the little bird, it was only as big as a fist, but there was a fierce look in its eyes, it had already torn up the strips of meat and swallowed it, and it was still not enough, but Marquis Wen didn't feed it anymore, The little bird didn't make trouble, it just squatted on the shelf and squinted at people.He said: "The last general is shallow and ignorant."

"This little bird is called Haidongqing, and it was brought as a tribute by King Juluo. It was originally a pair, and the emperor often gave me one. Don't look at this bird. It's small, but it's big and ferocious. If it's well trained, it can catch wild geese." Marquis Wen paused for a moment, and then said: "The Juluo tribute said that this bird can only be fed six times full. Once it is fed enough, it will soar into the sky, and it cannot be obeyed. Therefore, the local natives call it It is 'Use it when you are hungry, eat it when you are full.'” Chu Xiuhong's heart skipped a beat.What Wenhou said was not just ordinary gossip, there were obviously hidden meanings in these words.But with a blank expression on his face, he said, "It's the same with employing people, for example."

Marquis Wen laughed: "By inferring from one instance to another, a child can be taught. Chu Xiuhong, sit down." He grabbed a silk scarf on the table and wiped the blood foam on his hands, sat down first, took a sip of tea from his cup, and said, "Chu Xiuhong, after you regained Dongping, you also rested in the imperial capital for two months." Yu, how is it now?" "The last general has reorganized the front battalion and is just waiting to go." In the battle to recapture Dongping, the former army of the local army led by Chu Xiuhong took on the responsibility of the vanguard.He made great achievements in this battle, but the loss of the former army was extremely heavy, almost one-third of them died in the battle, Cao Wendao and Qian Wenyi, the two commanders under him, were both seriously injured, and he himself suffered some injuries.After the war, the former army was ordered to return to the imperial capital to rest and replenish its troops.More than two months have passed, and the front battalion of the 5,000-strong Land Army under his command has expanded to 7,000 people, and most of the wounded have returned to the team. It is time to set off.

Marquis Wen frowned slightly, and said, "That's just right, this time you don't have to divert to Dongping City to meet General Tu, but go directly to the Pangruo Lake camp. But," he took two steps, said: "There is still a road ahead. thing." "Please make it clear, my lord." "I got news today that Shi Mengxiong's food transportation team was ambushed after crossing the river and lost their whereabouts." Chu Xiuhong was taken aback, and said, "What? Did the snake man do it?" Meng Xiong was originally a junior officer in the Wenhou's army at that time. Although he was not a general, he was calm and capable. No one would have imagined that the trip would be ambushed in the rear.Although there were bandits on the road, Shi Mengxiong had two thousand men under his command, and as usual, those bandits were definitely no match for him.If the food transport team is wiped out, the only possibility is that the snake people did it.

Marquis Wen nodded and said: "We were attacked in the rear, and no one escaped, so it could only be the snake man." Chu Xiuhong thought for a while, but hesitated to speak.Marquis Wen saw what he meant and said, "If you have any thoughts, just say it." Chu Xiuhong said: "Yes, the general is thinking that besides the snake man, there is another force that can do it..." "You mean the Xifu Army?" Chu Xiuhong nodded.The Xifu army is stationed in Fudun City in the upper reaches of the river, and the current commander is Tao Shouzhuo, the governor of Tianshui Province.Tao Shouzhuo was resourceful and resourceful, Fudun City was guarded extremely tightly, and it was an important town in the southwestern part of the empire, but he was elusive, and Marquis Wen was quite afraid of him.The Xifu army has a total of 50,000 troops, and they are good at fighting in mountainous areas. If they want to eat Shi Mengxiong's food transport team, it is not impossible.

Marquis Wen sighed, and said: "I also doubted it before. However, today's eyeliner reported that the Xifu army has not moved. To eat Meng Xiong, at least five or six thousand troops will be needed. Such an army will leave Fudun City to deceive people's eyes and ears. Impossible. If Tao Shouzhuo sends out troops sporadically, then this matter will be troublesome." Marquis Wen said it peacefully, but Chu Xiuhong knew that if this was the case, then the Xifu army moved with a plan, and it was not just a trouble, but a fatal blow.The strength of the Xifu army is not weak, and this place is conducive to separatism, and it is not easy to crusade in peacetime, not to mention the current time of internal and external troubles.He said, "Just, is there any evidence?"

Marquis Wen said: "There is no evidence. Although 300,000 catties of grain and grass is not a small amount, it is not too difficult to prepare this amount of supplies, but if the Xifu army really has the intention of renunciation, this is the confidant. Serious trouble. Tao Shouzhuo is far-sighted, and it is reasonable to not do such a thing at this time, but this is really strange, so we must guard against it." Suddenly two threatening cold lights flashed in his eyes, and he said: "Chu Xiuhong! " Chu Xiuhong heard Marquis Wen's voice suddenly became severe, stood up, bowed and said: "The last general will obey the order."

"I have prepared 200,000 catties of grain and grass, and you will escort them this time. Be careful along the way and see who did this. No matter who it is, cut the weeds and roots for me to prevent future troubles, and don't leave anyone alive." The so-called leaving no one alive is to worry that what if it is the work of the Xifu Army.If the Xifu army really did it, then they killed that group of troops without making a fuss, and the Xifu army probably didn't dare to make any changes after suffering from being dumb.Chu Xiuhong already knew what Marquis Wen meant, and said, "Yes, the general understands that the ones attacking the food transport team were either bandits or snake men."

A smile appeared on Marquis Wen's face, and he stretched out his hand to make a gesture. Seeing the situation, the sea dongqing suddenly flew over and landed on Marquis Wen's arm.Marquis Wen said: "Chu Xiuhong, you take Qing'er away, once the truth comes out, let Qing'er bring the letter back." Chu Xiuhong knelt down and saluted, and said again: "By the way, my lord, the last general has a request, please allow me."