Chapter 2 Chapter 34: The Eve of the Battle

When the Wude Camp left Gaojiu City in a mighty way, I couldn't help but look back again. This famous city is now completely in ruins.Although it was used as a grain storage base by the Republican Army, the city was still filled with death.In the former National Square, the corpses of the snake people were piled up like a mountain and were being burned. Once upon a time, it was our human corpses that were burned.I suddenly felt dizzy and almost fell off the horse. Yesterday, we launched the onslaught.Although there are not many snakemen in Gaojiu City, they still have quite strong fighting power.It's just that under the onslaught of the Wude Camp, the resistance of these snake people seemed so weak.In order to deceive Henry Ding, I deliberately let the Shenlong Cannon fire some empty cannons, and asked Cao Wendao's vanguard to light mines 400 paces ahead, so that the Republican Army must think that the Shenlong Cannon is powerful enough to hit 400 paces.Zhang Longyou has been improving the Shenlong Cannon. The newly manufactured Shenlong Cannon can only shoot fifty or sixty steps, but now it can hit about two hundred steps.I doubled the distance. Henry Ding found that the range of his Shenwei Cannon was not farther than that of the Shenlong Cannon. It should dissuade us from ambush. What's more, yesterday I intentionally invited the entire army of Shao Fengguan's Feng Legion to dispatch. The Wuyang City Sun Shuquan, the food security envoy, was dumbfounded, and this will make He Congjing reconsider the feasibility of turning against us.

But, I still feel a dull pain in my heart. Gaojiu City, a place with too many memories.When I escaped in the flying plane, I swore I would come back.In many dreams, I have dreamed that I lead the soldiers and re-enter this city full of snake people, and the armor is stained with blood.It's just that I did come back today, but I didn't go through a fierce battle like in my dream. The one-sided battle was too smooth, which almost made me feel disappointed. A total of 100,000 soldiers of the Southern Expedition Army died in this city.In addition to those who died when the Republican Army was defending the city, hundreds of thousands of people died in this city in that year, and the bones could cover almost every inch of land in the city.To this day, several years later, I can still see human bones everywhere in the city.

Among those bones, are there those of Marquis Wu, Qi Lie, or Jin Qianshi?Perhaps, Su Wenyue's bones are also there.I dare not look at it anymore, those pale human bones, like countless eyes staring at me behind my back, made me sweat involuntarily. I was looking at the city engrossed when Cao Wendao came up from below on his horse.Snake people are not used to stairs, they have filled up the steps on the top of the city, and now they can directly ride up to the top of the city on horseback.Cao Wendao came to me, saluted immediately, and said, "Tongzhi, the Yongzi Battalion has arrived and is ready to go."

Yongzi Battalion is the last of the Wude Battalion.I nodded and said, "How did the Republican Army react?" Cao Wendao smiled and said, "They were terrified." Ding Henry will not be scared, but the combat power displayed by Wudeying must have surprised him.It's just that I didn't want to laugh, so I said in a low voice, "Brother Cao, do you still remember what happened in the city back then?" Cao Wendao was Lu Jingyu's subordinate at that time, and he also experienced the first siege and then the siege of Gaojiu City.He sighed and said, "Control, how can I forget it."

Facing the city, I closed my eyes and murmured: "Brother Cao, listen, the hundred thousand robes that died in the city back then are doing their best for us." I closed my eyes, mixed with the sound of cars rattling out of the city, the sound of horses screaming, and the sound of marching footsteps, it was heavy and sad, and the sound of the wind in my ears seemed to be like thousands of troops galloping.In that rumbling sound, I suddenly heard someone singing loudly and desolately: "Since the body is dead, it will be buried in Shanyang, How lofty the mountains are, how blue the sky is,

There are trees in the mountains and sorrows in the country, The soul comes back to look after the family. " It was the veterans of the Yongzi Battalion singing.Up to now, there are not many veterans who participated in the Southern Expedition, only a few dozen, and they are all organized in the Yongzi Battalion. They must be deeply touched when they return to this place.At the beginning, the singing was sparse and irregular, but gradually it became louder and more orderly.My eyes were moist all of a sudden, and I could hardly see everything in front of me. "Burial in Shanyang".Countless people couldn't even satisfy such wishes, and their bones were still thrown around the city like dead branches.I wiped my eyes and said, "Let's go!"

Cao Wendao took his horse and ran down the city, and I also took Feng Qi and the other nine down the city.When I was some distance away from the city, I looked back again.A puff of black smoke filled the sky above Gaojiu City. It was the black smoke that burned the snake man. Xiao Lie, Jin Qianshi, Wang Dong, and Tan Qing who died in the snake camp without even bones left, if you spirits are here, follow me. I straightened my body immediately, and gave a military salute to Gaojiu City, thinking silently. As if I heard my heart, a gust of wind blew by, and the black smoke was blown away at once.In a trance, the voices and smiles of the brothers from the Centuries of the Vanguard Battalion many years ago appeared in front of my eyes.

"There are trees in the mountains, there are sorrows in the country, and the souls come back to look after the country." I read silently, tears bursting down again. Travel day and night, this day is already April 20th. In the imperial capital, it was still early summer on April 20, but in southern Xinjiang it was already hot and stuffy, getting closer to Fuxi Valley.On this day, I was discussing with Yang Yi, Lian Baice, Cao Wendao and Chen Zhong what to do next. This time, the combined forces of the Imperial Army and the Republican Army had exceeded 100,000, and the logistical supplies were not easy, but the Republican Army was deployed in an orderly manner.Although the road gets more difficult and the weather gets hotter the further you go in, the grain and grass provided by the Republican Army have been able to continuously help them.Yang Yi was also very worried about Wuyang City's terrible logistical supply capability.If we were totally unprepared, and the Republican Army hadn't been intimidated by our performance in Gaojiu City, once they attack us, they don't even need to confront us head-on, and they only need to confront us for a month, then we will definitely help them because of food and grass. If not, it will completely collapse.Both Yang Yi and Cao Wendao experienced the suffering of lack of food in Gaojiu City. Although they are in this dense forest now, if they run out of food, they can't last longer than in the city.

While discussing, Feng Qi came in suddenly and reported: "General Chu, General Ding Henry of the Republican Army is asking to see you." Henry Ding asked to see him alone?I was stunned, he suddenly came to see him in private, I couldn't figure out what his idea was, and said: "Okay, you go out through the back door first, I'll see why he came." After Yang Yi and the others went out, the tent was cleaned up, so I went out and said loudly, "Is that General Ding?" Henry Ding was standing outside.To my surprise, he didn't even bring a follower, he was wearing plain clothes, and he had a scroll under his arm.Seeing me, Henry Ding nodded and said, "General Chu, good."

I took him in, and when he sat down, I said, "General Ding is here, what advice do you have?" Henry Ding put the scroll on the desk, paused, and said, "General Chu, the distance from Fuxi Valley should not exceed three hundred miles." His face was very solemn, and it could even be said that there was some fear.A quick march of a hundred miles a day can cover such a distance in three days, and an ordinary march of sixty miles a day can be covered in four or five days.It's just that these three hundred miles are not an ordinary three-hundred-mile march. It can be said that the fate of mankind rests on this three-hundred-mile march.

I looked at the map in my hand and said with a smile, "General Ding, are you still afraid?" Henry Ding smiled bitterly, and said: "I'm not afraid that General Chu will laugh at you. At the beginning we sent thirty scouts to investigate, but only two came back, and the remaining twenty-eight people were silent. Use these two scouts to investigate The resulting map has been drawn into this map, and the error should not be very large, but it will not be very accurate either." He pressed one end of the scroll with his hand, and was about to open it when he suddenly said hesitantly: "Brother Chu, I want to beg you one last time." His voice trembled a little, and I asked in surprise, "What?" "Come to our side, I would like to be your deputy." My heart moved, and I forced a smile and said: "General Ding, we are the Allied Army now, of course I am on your side, why are you called to your side?" Henry Ding glanced at me, didn't say anything, just opened the scroll and said, "General Chu, please read." I understand what Henry Ding means.He Congjing wants him to deal with me secretly, he must be extremely unwilling in his heart.What he said just now has already risked being suspected by me.With his character and ability, it is reasonable to say that he would not be so unwise and impulsive, but he still said it. Henry Ding is not someone to wait for nothing, and once he makes a move, he will definitely not be merciful.It's just that he doesn't want to go this far, so he is also making the last effort to eliminate the crisis between the two sides.Unfortunately, that is impossible. My heart can't help but feel a little sad.If I change my position, I think I will do the same as him.But, is this fight really unavoidable? "...What does General Chu think?" Ding Henry's words interrupted my thoughts.It wasn't until this moment that I realized that I had lost my mind just now.I pretended to listen carefully, looked at the map, and said, "How big is Fuxi Valley?" In Ding Henry's picture, Fuxi Valley is a valley deep in the depression of Daxue Mountain.Surrounded by mountains on all sides, it looks roughly like a gourd, with only one canyon communicating with the outside world. "The area of ​​Fuxi Valley is not small, enough to station 100,000 troops, but," Henry Ding pointed to the smaller open space above the gourd-shaped Fuxi Valley, "There are two gates in Fuxi Valley, and the open space above is called Wai Pao. Yuan, it is much smaller, and the inner Pao Yuan is more than three times larger. General Chu, after we break through the first road, we can camp here in the Yuan Pao Yuan, but in this way, the snake people will be sealed inside. If they It is very difficult for a trapped beast to fight back desperately." I said, "General Ding has an idea?" Ding Henry hesitated for a moment, and said: "General Chu is leading the elites in the world, and no one can stop the soldiers. Fuxi Valley is naturally dangerous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, but if your army uses artillery and armored vehicles to clear the way, snakes will be killed." It is not difficult to break through the human line of defense. The most difficult thing is to transport supplies." He pointed to the canyon at the exit of Fuxi Valley, and said: "The natives here call it Fengdao Gorge, which is three miles long. There are only two hours to stop, and only these two hours can pass every day. Because the terrain is so dangerous, the snake people have no defenses in this canyon. The first hurdle we want to break through the snake people is not Very difficult, the most difficult is the second way." I pondered for a while, and said: "But if the supply of food and grass is not enough, then the snake man can fight back at the second checkpoint and wait for work, and get twice the result with half the effort." Ding Henry nodded, and said: "Ding is thinking about this. Although the snake man is a monster, he seems to have mastered the art of war, and the formation makes sense. Fuxi Valley is naturally dangerous, and there is only one way to attack by force. However, once the attack is launched, Our loss would also be unbearably great." So I want the Imperial Army to take the lead.I laughed secretly in my heart, and said: "General Ding, it seems..." Henry Ding suddenly grabbed my lead and said, "Fuxi Valley is only connected to the outside world through Fengdao Gorge. If we attack Waipao Plain, once our return route is intercepted, we will be in a desperate situation. General Chu, this matter should be discussed in a long-term way." I said, "What does General Nading think?" "The two armies work together to advance and retreat together." What exactly is Henry Ding thinking?If the two armies are mixed together, as if our army is interspersed and divided by the Republican Army, once the Republican Army attacks us, it will cause great commotion, and the result will probably be a loss for both sides.Could it be that he is planning to poison the food? I felt like my heart was being pricked by a needle.If the two armies were mixed, it would be too easy to poison, but would Ding Henry do this?I muttered to myself, "It's not that there is a shortage of troops, but that the Waipaoyuan is not enough to store these many soldiers. Moreover, if the two armies are mixed, it may be difficult to run in, but it will not be as effective as a single army attacking alone." Ding Henry said: "The general Chu's intention is..." It wasn't until then that it dawned on me.Ding Henry's so-called mixed formation of the two armies is actually asking for a lot of money in business, waiting for me to sit down and pay back the money.I smiled and said: "Our army is far away, and the terrain is unfamiliar, so let your army be the vanguard to open the way." He wanted to ask for a price, so I simply returned the price to the ground.When discussing a joint venture with Zheng Zhao, the Imperial Army would lead the way and the Republican Army would provide food and grass. They would never agree to such a proposal.Sure enough, Henry Ding laughed: "General Chu is too modest, this matter should be discussed in a long-term way. Let's invite General Chu to come to my camp this afternoon to discuss it." It's business, so you should bargain with me on the spot, so today I'm here to test my words.I sigh to myself.Ding Henry is sincere, but now he is playing tricks like this.But am I not the same as him? When Henry Ding said goodbye and left, looking at his back, I didn't know what it was like in my heart.Once upon a time, I thought that one day I would fight the snake people together with Henry Ding, and now it is like this, but it is not as daring as I imagined back then. Ding Henry said that he would meet together, God knows what's behind the scenes.Of course I didn't dare to take all the generals, except for Shao Fengguan, I only brought Feng Qi, the four of them and Yang Yi. When we entered the camp of the Republican Army, two of the seven generals, Yu Jin and Fang Ruoshui, came in person to welcome us into Henry Ding's camp. Ding Henry's camp was the same as that of ordinary soldiers, even the same size.When we walked to the front of the camp, he was already waiting at the door, and said with a smile on his face: "Chu Dudu, Shao Dudu, you two are here, and the plants are shining, please come in." He looked at me and said with a smile: "General Chu, I wonder if your carving skills are more beneficial?" I smiled and said, "Small tricks are nothing to worry about." "General Chu is too modest. With such amazing skills, Master Lu Xizi couldn't pass it. Every time Henry gets tired of studying, he looks at the wood carvings that General Chu gave in Wuyun City. The fruit is so good that he feels tired." What he said was not flattering. It seems that Henry Ding admires me the most because of his carving skills.I smiled and said, "How dare you dare." We sat down according to the guest and host, and I saw that besides a big cup of tea, there was also a bowl and a small silver spoon on each seat, but the bowl was empty, so I couldn't help being surprised.Maybe there will be something to eat when discussing military aircraft, but I don't know why it hasn't been brought up. Before I asked, Henry Ding clapped his hands, and several soldiers came over with a steaming soup pot and put it in the middle.This soup pot looks very strange, below is a trough, which is full of red coals, and the soup in the pot is also making a slight noise, exuding a strange fragrance.Ding Henry said: "Generals, I have no respect for you, but I just hunted some wild game. Please taste it." Yang Yi glanced at me, I understood what he meant, nodded, indicating that it would not be poisonous, even if Henry Ding played tricks again, but I believe his character would never do such a thing.What's more, he brought out such a big pot, so he naturally indicated that it would not be poisonous.I said, "General Ding is too polite." Henry Ding smiled and said, "General Chu, do you know what is boiled in this pot?" Before I said anything, Shao Fengguan suddenly sniffled and said with a smile: "So General Ding cooked Wudu soup." When I heard the name "Five Poison Soup", I was startled, but seeing Shao Fengguan's smiling face, there was nothing unusual about it, and I knew that this soup was just named badly, so there would be no serious problems, so I said, "I've never heard of it, Brother Shao. You might as well make it clear so that I can broaden my knowledge.” Shao Feng said: "With General Ding here, how can the last general dare to overstep?" Henry Ding laughed and said: "There is a lot of miasma in southern Xinjiang, and there are a lot of poisonous substances. Among them, there are five kinds of turtles, clams, pheasants, rats, and raccoons. They are called five poisons. The five poisons are not very poisonous. It is the most delicious taste in the world. Although the toxicity of these five substances is low, it will be useless to eat them alone. Only when the five substances are reconciled together, and the five poisons restrain each other, will there be no toxicity. Only the five substances need to be killed alive. Wuyang City has disappeared. In the past, when General Chu was on an envoy to our country, he did not get a taste of this peculiar smell. Now that he is marching in the mountains, these five things have become more abundant, and I can cook them together. But Dudu Shao is really knowledgeable, and I want to show off his uniqueness. It turns out that Governor Shao already knew about it." Shao Feng said: "I heard that the five poisonous soup is a tonic and hot thing, and the summer eclipse will cause nosebleeds. I don't know how General Ding can solve it?" Henry Ding said: "Then I have to ask the two governors to make a guess, please first." A soldier pulled the lid off the pot.As soon as the lid of the pot was opened, a hot and strange fragrance came out. The soldier took a long-handled copper spoon and scooped the soup from the pot into a row of copper bowls.When it was brought to me, I realized that the five-du soup was not at all like the meat soup I usually eat. It was actually a golden jelly thing, but it was still steaming.The golden jelly was completely free of impurities, and it was still shaking slightly in the bowl. There is also a small bone spoon beside the copper bowl.Because I heard that Shao Fengguan said it was called "Wu Du Geng", I was always a little afraid to do it.But seeing that Shao Fengguan had already put a spoonful in his mouth and sipped it, with a look of enjoying it, he took a spoonful boldly.As soon as I put it in my mouth, I felt a strange sweetness sticking to the tip of my tongue, and it exploded all of a sudden, soaking the hair marrow of my whole body immediately, and my body was instantly full of strength. It seems that what Shao Fengguan said is right, this soup of five poisons is indeed a tonic and hot thing, now I am so hot that I am sweating, my mouth is dry, I picked up the cup and drank the tea.The tea is boiling hot, not like ordinary tea, but it smells fragrant, and when you drink it, it feels extremely refreshing, and immediately relieves the dryness in your chest.I was startled, but I heard Henry Ding say: "General Chu, do you know what kind of tea this is?" I smiled wryly. I usually drink tea purely to quench my thirst, and I don't know the difference between various teas.I looked in the cup, but there were no green leaves in the cup, but the tea was green. I was about to honestly say that I don’t know, when a light flashed in my mind.This kind of tea is surprisingly cold, completely different from ordinary tea. I once saw a piece in "Huang Yu Zhou Xingji" written by Master Tianji, saying that there is a kind of pine tea in southern Xinjiang. , is the holy medicine to cure heat stroke, and can also be used as tea, even if it is brewed in boiling water, it will still be cold.My heart moved, and I said, "Is this tea called Songluo tea?" Ding Henry nodded and said: "Usnea tea is born on the top of the mountain, and its nature is extremely cold. Even in Wuyang City, it can only be drunk in summer. This kind of Usnea tea is picked from the snow-capped mountains. The tea is more refreshing, and if you drink too much it will even cause cold symptoms, but it can just neutralize the dryness and heat of Wudu Geng. General Chu even knows about Usnea tea, he is really well-informed." I smiled wryly.Henry Ding's speech now is clearly the same as when I came to Wuyang City to negotiate and He Congjing invited me to drink Qinbilan syrup.I said: "Wuyang City also has a kind of Qinbilan juice? That kind of wine is also extremely cold, so it is only suitable for drinking in summer." I just said it in passing, but out of the corner of my eyes, I suddenly saw Fang Ruoshui, who was sitting next to Henry Ding, change his face very quickly.I couldn't help being stunned, but Henry Ding laughed and said: "General Chu still misses that Qinbilan syrup. Qinbilan syrup is indeed extremely cold, but this cold is not that cold. Cold is the kingly cold, but Qinbilan jelly is the overbearing cold. Usnea tea can relieve the dryness and heat of the five-du soup, but if the five-du soup meets Qinbilan jelly, it will produce a strange poison, which is enough to kill people on the spot. Therefore, there is a saying that 'five poisons do not see Qin'." I was taken aback and said, "There is such a thing?" Ding Henry nodded and said, "Because these two things are very accessible to everyone, few people know about them." Of course, this should be what He Congjing said.Only the He Congjing family, who have been city lords in the past, can enjoy these extremely rare odors.Five poisonous soup and Qinbilan syrup will be very poisonous when they meet, I really don't know, if someone wants to assassinate me, as long as these two kinds of wine and vegetables are served at the banquet at the same time, I will definitely fall into his way. But, Henry Ding told me what these mean?I knew there was nothing unusual on Henry Ding's face, so while drinking tea, I glanced at Fang Ruoshui out of the corner of my eye.Fang Ruoshui is the most impatient among the Seven Heavenly Generals, and the change in his face just now made me suspicious.When I looked over, I saw that Fang Ruoshui was looking at Henry Ding, and the doubts that Henry Ding said were clearly written in his eyes. Henry Ding is warning me!My mind suddenly lit up.I'm afraid that He Congjing once told them about this strategy, and I doubt it will be implemented at the celebration banquet for the elimination of the snake man. By then, all the middle and senior generals of the Wude Camp will be fooled while talking and laughing over wine. .The more I thought about it, the more afraid I became, and my heart was filled with gratitude to Henry Ding. No matter how Henry Ding hides from me, he is still a good and aboveboard guy after all.He would rather fight me openly than to use conspiracy to harm me, even he would not hesitate to expose He Congjing's conspiracy.I don't know what it feels like in my heart. I am grateful to Henry Ding and hate him at the same time. If he is willing to surrender to the imperial army, how many swordsmen should be spared.However, I know that Henry Ding probably thinks the same way.Did he warn me like this because he felt pity for me and couldn't bear to let me die in vain, or did he show kindness to me and plan to recruit me in the future?I looked at Henry Ding, only to see that he was sipping a cup of tea with no expression on his face. wrong.Henry Ding is indeed a very affectionate person, but he is not a person who releases water because of his personal relationship. He warned me that there must be his reasons.But anyway, he told me this secret so that I could guard against this unpredictable method of assassination, and I don't see any harm. Henry Ding's eloquence today is very strong, he speaks eloquently and eloquently. I never knew he had such a good eloquence before.My eloquence is far behind his, but Shao Fengguan, no matter what Henry Ding said, he can catch up.I have been studying in the military academy since I was a child. At that time, all I read were military books and war books. It was not until Wenhou persuaded me to read more that I read more complicated things. But I can’t compare with them at all. I can only listen to them. You talked with me one by one, and only occasionally answered a few words.What makes me strange is that Henry Ding said today that he asked us to discuss military affairs, but until now he didn't even say a word about military affairs, just chatting. What the hell is he thinking?I was meditating, but I heard Shao Fengguan put down his cup and said: "General Ding, thank you for your hospitality. However, I'm not here just for a banquet, right?" Ding Henry smiled and said: "General Chu, General Shao, I didn't invite you to come over to discuss until today, and I also invited the two generals Haihan, because our army leader can only arrive at the front of the battle today. It's just that the leader may be delayed on the way, originally at noon It could come, but it hasn't come until now." His words were very calm, but both Shao Fengguan and I couldn't help being surprised.The leader of the Republican Army is Henry Ding, and everyone in the Imperial Army knows it clearly.Over the years, Henry Ding led the Republican Army to many victories, and his reputation was heard even in Juluo.But he actually said that he is not the chief general, Shao Feng said: "General Ding, but has the city master He arrived before the formation?" Henry Ding shook his head with a smile, and said: "The owner of the city is a thousand gold body, and he wants to manage Wuyang City, how can he go to the front of the army in person. The general of our army is Mr. Nanwu." As soon as Ding Henry said this, even though I kept trying to keep my face down, my expression couldn't help but change.I squinted at Shao Fengguan, and saw that his face darkened very quickly, it seemed that he had also heard of the name Nanwu Gongzi.Just as I was about to ask another question, a soldier suddenly came over and whispered a few words into Henry Ding's ear. Henry Ding's face suddenly turned pale, and he said with a smile: "The two generals have been waiting for a long time, and Mr. Nanwu has arrived. , please wait a moment, Henry excuse me for a moment." He stood up, and Yu Jin and Fang Ruoshui, who were accompanying him, also stood up and bowed to leave.This surprised me even more.Mr. Nanwu, I have actually met him before, but I haven't seen him face to face. I really want to know what this person looks like.It's just that he was very mysterious in the past, and few people outside even knew that there was such a person, but this time, his grandeur was astonishing, and Henry Ding and his subordinates would welcome him together.It seems that the number one figure behind the Republican Army is finally about to surface. What is his purpose in coming?Now that Henry Ding is going, he must be discussing something urgently. If I can know their conversation, my chances of winning will be a little higher.But now in the Republican Army barracks, my every move is in their eyes, and it is impossible to eavesdrop.I smiled wryly, took another spoonful of Wudu soup, and drank a cup of pineapple tea.Between the cold and the heat, there is an indescribable comfort on my body.Suddenly, I remembered the polite words that Henry Ding said when he greeted me just now. He said that he was tired of studying, and look at the woodcarving I gave him, which uses "good fruits"! What I gave him was his bust!My hands couldn't help shaking a little.The gift I gave to Zheng Zhao was a lychee tree, which was holding the sound of Tiandun.At that time, he wanted to eavesdrop on Zheng Zhao's private plot, but although Mr. Nanwu didn't see any flaws, he still suspected that there was some mystery in it, and asked them to keep it away and not take it out.Zheng Zhao is extremely careful, and must always carry it with him. After he arrives in our military camp, he may be handed over to Henry Ding for safekeeping.I am suspicious of the two wood carvings, the one for Henry Ding is hollow, it is possible to install Tiandunyin, but there is nothing strange about it, and the lychees on the lychee tree given to Zheng Zhao are exactly Tiandunyin.I think, although Henry Ding is resourceful, he is not as suspicious as Zheng Zhao. The wood carving is Xue Wenyi's masterpiece, so exquisite that he couldn't put it down, and even he finally became careless.And in order to be prepared, I have always brought the listening reed of Tiandunyin with me.What's more, Mr. Nanwu has not been in the camp.If he was in the camp, with his suspicion, he would definitely not let Henry Ding take out the wooden carving and display it. I never thought I would have such good luck.No matter how sophisticated the plan is, Mr. Nanwu and Henry Ding have set up, and now there is a crack in the plan, and I must seize it.Thinking of this, I pretended to be a little uncomfortable, and said: "General Shao, I feel uncomfortable in my stomach, please excuse me first." I reached out and waved to a Republican soldier standing beside me, and the man came up to him and said: " General Chu, what are your orders?" I said, "I have pain in my abdomen, and I want to go to the toilet." The soldier said: "The general Chu will come with me." Henry Ding went out from behind the tent, but the guard led me out from the front of the tent.I greeted Feng Qi and the four of them followed me.Now in the Republican Army barracks, it's not surprising that they have to guard me at all times, but the guard probably thinks that I'm too pretentious, and even has to guard me when I go to the toilet.What I'm most afraid of is that the toilet is too far away, so I won't be able to hear the conversation between Henry Ding and Mr. Nanwu. I didn't expect that after a few steps, there will be another tent.Ding Henry's barracks was really clean. The toilet was obviously used by middle and senior officers. It was cleaned cleanly and there was no smell at all.I originally wanted to find an opportunity to go outside and listen closely, but now obviously there is no need to take this risk.Even if Xue Wenyi's Tiandun sound is blocked by houses, it can still spread ten feet away. Now it is all tents, so it must be spread farther.The toilet is quiet and undisturbed, which is much better than going outside. I asked Feng Qi and the others to guard the door to prevent outsiders from entering.As the commander-in-chief of the imperial army's expeditionary force, this style naturally does not make people suspicious.Once inside, I took out the reed and listened intently. There was just a little noise at first.I finely tuned a screw on the spring, and the noise gradually died down, but the voice was still not very clear.There were too many people in the barracks, and it was impossible to hear clearly.I tried my best to identify it, and suddenly I heard someone say: "Shao Fengguan asked first." Although the tone of the voice has changed from the listening reed, I think it is probably Henry Ding who is speaking.What did he mean by Shao Fengguan asking first?I was startled, but I heard someone else say: "It seems that Shao Fengguan is not as calm as Chu Xiuhong." This person is Mr. Nanwu?My heart skipped a beat, the tone of the accent from Tiandunyin has changed, and I really can't tell any similarities with the voice I heard at the beginning.But I heard the man continue: "Young master said, if this is the case, then according to the plan, kill Chu Xiuhong first." The words were not loud, but they hit my ears like a thunderbolt.This person is not Mr. Nanwu, and Mr. Nanwu really has bad intentions towards us!It's just that I don't know what strategy he has set up. The Imperial Expeditionary Army has more troops than the Republican Army who came with it. How can he kill me? I would have liked to have heard the man go over the plan in detail, but all he could hear was, "It's time to go. Wait too long and they'll get suspicious." I have to go back too.If they go to the toilet for too long, I'm afraid they will become suspicious too.I put away the reed and walked out.Feng Qi and the others were still guarding the door. Seeing me coming out, Feng Qi immediately brought a basin of water over and said, "Commander, please wash your hands." "Then Mr. Nanwu wants to kill us?" Shao Fengguan raised his eyebrows, put down his glass and looked at me.Indeed, the big counteroffensive has not yet begun, and the outcome is uncertain. It is hard to believe that the Republican Army is ready to kill us. I nodded and said, "Exactly." "What strength do they have to kill us?" Shao Fengguan was still a little puzzled. "They don't have the upper hand in terms of strength, nor do they have the upper hand in war equipment. Even though the Republican Army has artillery, they can't take advantage of the bombardment." I said: "It is true. But I suspect that they have strengths that we don't know." Shao Fengguan bowed his head in thought, and didn't speak any more.After a long time, he finally said: "I think that Mr. Nanwu may want to give us a disgrace. In "Seven Commandments of the March", it is said that it is okay for the three armies to win the commander, but it is perilous for a man to win the spirit." It should be that Nanwu It’s the strategy that the young master used. However, if he really intends to harm us, at this juncture, he has come to the army himself, he is really courageous.” That Mr. Nanwu came out just now, and he was very imposing. Five of the seven-day generals of the Republican Army at the front came to accompany him. In addition to Ding Henry, Yu Jin, and Fang Ruoshui who had met before, there were also Wei Rentu and Ba Wenyan. people.The Nanwu son who came out was handsome and heroic, really radiant, Shao Fengguan was greatly surprised, probably never thought that this person who has always been hidden behind his back would be so high-profile.I smiled and said: "Brother Shao, you were deceived by him, this is a substitute." I paused, and then said: "This person has been hiding his head and showing his tail. I doubt that the man who came to the imperial capital with Henry Ding was praised by the adults. Talent is the real Nanwu." Shao Fengguan was even more taken aback, and said, "What?" At the beginning, Marquis Wen claimed that a entourage behind Henry Ding had the appearance of a king, but the four entourages who followed Henry Ding were all not impressive, ordinary, and they couldn't be seen among the servants. Come out, definitely not the handsome and heroic young man I saw today. I said: "It's just that I'm a little strange. What is Nan Wu's reason for wanting to get rid of us? That's not justified by a simple 'Dou Qi'." Shao Fengguan pondered for a while, and said: "Brother Chu, I think you have preconceptions about everything, and you first think that the Republican Army is going to be bad for us. Do you have evidence?" I paused and said, "Yes. I heard their conversation." Shao Feng said: "Could it be that Henry Ding and that fake Nanwu came to discuss matters in your toilet?" His words were already sarcastic.I didn't care. I paused, knowing that it would be impossible not to tell him the truth.Although the Wind Corps is small in size, it has always been the eyes and ears of the armies because of its special nature.If Shao Fengguan doesn't believe me, if the Wind Legion is wiped out by the Republican Army first, then the Land Legion will almost become blind.I held back my temper and said, "Do you know that there is a saying that 'If a worker wants to do a good job, he must first sharpen his tools'?" "Of course I know, Zhang Shangshu often said this." I took out the listening reed from my pocket and said, "This thing is the listening reed of an eavesdropping tool called 'Tian Dun Yin'. With this, you can hear the voices of people more than ten feet away." Shao Fengguan was stunned, took the reed and looked at it, not speaking for a while.I said, "Brother Shao, I don't have Tiandunyin on hand for you to try..." Before I finished speaking, Shao Fengguan interrupted me and said: "Brother Chu, it's not that I don't believe you." He raised his head and said with some hesitation: "Have you installed this kind of Tiandunyin in the Feng Legion?" I smiled and said: "You think this thing is grown on a tree, and you can pick a big basket every year. There are not many of them, and I don't have any at hand." : "Brother Shao, please rest assured, I will never use this thing to spy on your secrets." Shao Feng said: "Then Zhang Shangshu and Wenhou don't know about this either?" I nodded and said, "Yes. Of course I can't let them know." Shao Fengguan's complexion was very bad just now, but now he turned rosy.He put the listening reed on the table, made a haha, and said: "It's fine if you don't need to use it on me. Brother Chu, if you are dissatisfied with you, if Marquis Wen can hear me scolding him behind his back, I, Shao Fengguan, will die a thousand times." Never enough." If Marquis Wen knows that there is such a wonderful tool, the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty, including me, may not be at ease with even one. I said, "Brother Shao, I also know. Don't forget, we are in the same boat now." Shao Fengguan paused, then sighed: "Brother Chu, I pretend to know people, but I really can't see through you. Sometimes you are so clever that it makes me shudder, and sometimes you seem so stupid. Like this Tian Dunyin, you can definitely用在丁亨利身边安插耳目来搪塞过去，却偏偏跟我说实话。不怕我因此对你生了戒心吗？” 我也叹了口气，道：“兵者诡道，但既然我们已是同舟共济，就必须开诚布公。或是连我们都要互相猜疑，那这仗已先输了一半。”我看着他，慢慢道，“邵兄，我们相识时间也不算短了，你是怎样一个人，我自认看得清。你爱算计人，但你绝不是那种背后下刀的小人。” 邵风观干笑了一声，道：“楚兄谬赞。”他端起杯子一饮而尽，道，“男儿在世，总要轰轰烈烈做一场。楚兄，我听你的吧，你有什么打算？” 我淡淡一笑，道：“南武公子当然对我们不怀好意。好在我早就有了准备。伏羲谷中定然有个大秘密，我们本就想要先冲进去，现在共和军也希望我们打头阵，这自然不用再说了，我们要做的，便是把损失降到最小，此事便要有劳邵兄。” 邵风观道：“伏羲谷地形险要，共和军如果封住谷口，即使我们攻下了伏羲谷，最终还不是要被他们饿死？伏羲谷这种地方只进不出，乃是绝地，实是兵家大忌。” 我道：“所以我才说攻打伏羲谷要有劳邵兄。我准备将甘隆放在队伍尾部，由风军团来打头阵。” 邵风观嘿嘿一笑，道：“这姓甘的几乎是半个地军团的人了。你是防备共和军从背后下手？”甘隆是火军团都尉。毕炜与我不睦，这是军中上下公开的秘密，所以凡是火军团与地军团合作时，都是由这甘隆出面，这次也不例外。 我点了点头，道：“正是。伏羲谷是绝地，他们封住谷口，我们要杀出去便很难，但他们杀进来更难。把火军团放在谷口，以炮火轰击，南武公子要攻击的话，就得准备拿尸体来堵住出口了。” 邵风观皱起眉头道：“可是他们如果封住谷口，要把我们饿死的话，该怎么办？” 我笑了起来：“这个你放心。他们封住谷口，我们只消固守两天就行了。” 军中一般自带三天之粮。伏羲谷易守难攻，要守两天可以说轻松之极。邵风观一怔，道：“你想留一支部队在外接应？” 我道：“这是行不通的。这样一来，反而招共和军疑心，而且我们分兵势力不足，只怕连里面都攻不下了。你放心吧，到时就知道了。” 邵风观眼中一闪，笑了笑道：“原来你早就有打算了，真是老奸巨猾。只要外面有接应，共和军敢这样做的话，到时首尾受敌，吃亏的只怕是他们。” 我也笑了起来。还没说什么，他眼里突然又闪过一丝不安，轻声道：“楚兄，我觉得你似乎把那南武公子看小了，我怕他还有别的计策。” 我道：“有可能，只是现在也不知道。不过只消我们随机应变，任他有千变之计，也无能为力。” 邵风观点点头道：“这倒也是。”他站起身，道：“好，就这么办吧，攻打伏羲谷便由我来打头阵。”他看了看放在桌上的那听簧，又道，“另外，这个东西你现在没用了吧？给我吧。” 邵风观还是怕我用这个来偷听他吧。我暗自苦笑，道：“好吧。”现在听簧也没什么用了，给他也没什么。 送走了邵风观，我又把杨易、廉百策、陈忠和曹闻道都叫了过来，商议了一下进攻的计划。与蛇人打了这许多年仗，蛇人的习性也摸得透了，这一仗只怕是有史以来最艰苦的一仗，也恐怕是与蛇人的最后一仗了。 与共和军兵戎相见，已是近在眉睫了吧。I thought. 商议完后，我也已觉得有了倦意，让诸将各自回去动员准备。我和衣躺在床上，默默想着心事。远征军的任务已到了尾声，全身而退应该不会有意外，但回去后文侯如何对我，却该准备一下了。我杀了沙吉罕让小王子做监军，虽然有帝君撑腰，但文侯是何等人，决不会善罢甘休，一定要早作准备。 正想着，耳边忽然响起一阵嘈杂。 我皱了皱眉，坐了起来，想唤过一个亲兵让他去看一下出了什么事。刚坐起来，身上忽然有种沉入冰水中的感觉，不由打了个寒战。还不等我回过神，耳边裂帛一声，一阵厉风当头压来。 There are assassins!我吃了一惊，手握住了腰间的百辟刀。在地军团的中军居然出现了刺客！这是地军团成军以来从未有过的。 我刚握住百辟刀，只觉头顶已有一种利针刺入的刺痛。刺客是从营帐顶上割破帐顶跳下来的，这人居然神不知鬼不觉地到了我的头顶，这身本领实在骇人听闻。如果我还要拔刀的话，只怕百辟刀还未出鞘，他就已一刀刺入我的头顶了。 我原本是坐着的，脚猛地在床尾一蹬，连席子一同向床头滑去。几乎是同时，一个黑影已直直落下，“啪”一声，一柄剑从我身前刺入了床板。 这人用的是一柄细剑。如果我稍慢片刻，这柄剑刺入的就是我的头了。我惊出了一身冷汗，叫道：“来人！”话音刚落，那人的手一振，长剑被压得弯成弧形，但这一弹之力，他已翻身落到了床尾，一把拔出剑来，刺向我的前心。 这人的行动快如闪电，我本来还想出刀砍断这人的利剑，但没想他会快到这等地步。我左手在床板上一按，人已一跃而起，百辟刀趁势出鞘，“啪”一声压住了他的剑尖。 如果是平常人，这样一压，他的剑定然被我压得弯下去，钢口差一点的话，被压断也大有可能。但这人的剑术竟是高明得出乎意料，百辟刀上刚觉察到一点重量，他将长剑一抽一送，已然反客为主，反而压住了我的刀。 Good job!我心中暗赞。只是我没说出话，那人却也赞了一句：“好本领！” 我本来要用刀去封，听得这个声音，不由一怔。这个声音非常熟悉，可是，这个人是绝对不可能出现在这里的。 what the hell is it? 我这么一怔，百辟刀已慢了一拍，那人如影随形，已经抢了上来。我的帐中只点了一盏小灯，借着灯火，我已看清了他的相貌。如当头一个霹雳，我大吃一惊，连逃都忘了。 这人真的是张龙友！ 如果要闪，已经来不及了。我猛地一脚踢向床头，床板被我踢了起来，帘子一般挡在我面前。 床板一竖起，只听得“嚓”的一声，剑尖透过木板。那人出剑极快，也有点太快了，大概想收手都来不及，这一剑居然连木板都扎透了。我趁他还没有拔出剑来，身形一晃，已闪到一边，正要拔刀砍去，却见他头一晃，额上突然有鲜血迸流，他呻吟了一声，人软了下来。不等我奇怪，就听得冯奇惊叫道：“楚将军，你没事吧？” 冯奇站在门口，脸上满是惊恐，手上还拿着那把弹弓。我道：“我没事。” 冯奇快步过来，踢了一脚那人，道：“还好，我总算赶上了。没想到这刺客居然能到这里来，该死的，军中戒备太松了。” 我道：“不是戒备太松，是这人本事太强了。他死了吗？”这人身法如电，我自觉也赶不上他的动作。这人的剑术，总让我想起遇到过的那些奇丑无比的剑客。还记得当初在回帝都途中遇到那个自称是“神”的剑客时，张龙友跟我说过那是一种法统的剑术，在马上虽没什么大用处，但步下相争，威力却极大。也幸亏冯奇能及时过来，不然还真不一定斗得过他。 冯奇蹲下身，试了试他的鼻息，道：“死了。”他翻过那人的身体，那人后脑上嵌了一颗铁丸。冯奇的弹弓与这人的剑术倒是异曲同工，在马上没多大用处，步下时却伤人立死。 我道：“可惜这人已死，问不出他的来历来了。”这人虽然乍一看极像张龙友，但细看便知不是了。这人肤色比张龙友黑得多，也要瘦一些。 冯奇道：“楚将军放心，还有一个，那人我已让他们定要捉活的了。” 这时外面忽地传来一阵欢呼，冯奇眼中一亮，道：“楚将军，捉住了！那人捉住了！” 我道：“去看看吧。” 冯奇答应一声。走出门口，他让几个亲兵把我的营帐收拾干净，跟上来道：“楚将军，今天要多加小心。虽然现在有两个刺客，我怕还会有第三个出现。” I nodded.此时一些人已迎了过来，当头的是提着兵器的杨易与陈忠。他们两人的营盘靠近中军，离我最近，闻声已赶了过来。 看到我，两人同时跪下。我忙迎上去，道：“请起。刺客捉到了么？” 杨易点了点头，道：“此人好生厉害，伤了我们十几个弟兄，还是陈将军以巨盾合围逼住了他，方才打落他的兵器，将他击昏了。”他说着，把身边一柄断剑双手捧着递过来。我接了过来，一眼便看见那断剑剑柄上嵌着一个太极图，道：“人呢？” 杨易道：“便在后面。”他站起身，道：“抬上来！” 两个士兵抬着一个人过来了。这人身材瘦小，头上还蒙着布。冯奇在我身后小声道：“这人蒙面，进军营时受到盘问，结果拔剑伤人，另一个想必是趁乱进来的。” 我走过去，冷笑道：“好狡猾的刺客。只是想到地军团来，当然讨不了好。杨将军，快将受伤的弟兄送医营医治。” 我一边说着，到了那刺客身边。刺客四马攒蹄地被绑在一根枪杆上，这种姿势被绑着，有天大的本事也拿不出来了。这人的剑很细，只利于击刺，陈忠用巨盾困住他，正是以长击短。以陈忠那等神力，没打爆他的头也肯定是想留活口，手下留情了。冯奇看样子很为刺客侵入我的营帐而不安，我说这话是安安他的心。我伸手揭开这人的蒙面，本想笑着说几句，好让冯奇更宽心一点，哪知才揭开一角，却如遭电殛，浑身都僵住了。 这人竟是海老！ 海老这人太神秘了。以前何从景对他言听计从，但在与共和军共同攻击南安城时，我听明士贞说何从景要对付海老，一直想不出究竟是什么原因，只是我再会胡思乱想，也想不到这个睿智的老者居然会充当刺客，并且现在被我们四马攒蹄地绑起来。 冯奇看我半晌不说话，过来道：“楚将军……” 我不等他说完，抢道：“将这刺客装入囚笼，放到我帐中来，我要马上审问。” 冯奇答应一声，杨易在一边道：“都督。” 他还没说什么，我道：“杨将军，陈将军，你们休息去吧，让军中弟兄加强戒备，只怕刺客还有同党。再通知廉曹两将军，让他们坚守本阵，多加小心。” 如果照惯例，我总会让五德营统领与我一同审讯的，杨易想必也要请示一下，却没想到我会这么说。只是他没有多说什么，面色肃然，与陈忠两个向我行了一礼。刺客居然侵入了中军，这还是地军团成军以来的头一次，他们也很是不安。 我小声道：“杨兄，郑昭先生现在如何？” “他被软禁着，我派了几十个兄弟轮番看守，每个时辰一换，十二个时辰从不间断，楚将军放心。” 我点点头道：“千万小心，不能出乱子。” 我回到帐中，里面已经收拾干净了。海老被关在一个囚笼里。囚笼是关押犯了军纪的士兵的，就是以前的坐笼，只是我把坐笼周围的那些尖棒全都去掉了。海老身上被搜过，利器都已搜走。他被绑在囚笼的栏上，就算醒了也动弹不得。 我查看了一下，确认海老不会挣脱，向一边的冯奇点点头。冯奇会意，拿起桌上的一碗水，含了一口，走到笼边向海老面上喷去。海老似乎也有郑昭那样的摄心术，单独面对他我还当真不敢，因此让十剑斩中的今晚轮值的四人都陪在我身边。 冯奇一口水喷出。刚喷到海老脸上，冯奇脸上就露出诧异之色。海老长相奇丑无比，有布蒙着还看不出来，但这布一湿便贴在了脸上，冯奇看来定是大吃一惊。他倒也没说什么，走过来小声道：“他醒了。” 我走到海老身边，看着他动了一下，慢慢睁开眼。看到我，他眼里却没有惊异，只是苦笑了一下，道：“楚将军，果然杀不了你。” 我又向前走了一步，道：“海老，请原谅我的无礼。” 海老道：“我来行刺，自当如此，楚将军不必自责。” 我们一问一答间，冯奇脸上已露出了诧意。现在我哪里像是在审问刺客，倒似与故交拉家常一样，如果是曹闻道，一定按捺不住好奇心要问我是怎么回事了。 我拖过一张凳子坐了下来，道：“海老，我有句话要问你。”顿了顿，我道：“你到底是什么人？” 海老也看着我，道：“楚将军，你当真想知道？”他看了看冯奇，道：“你让他们退下。” 海老要对我用摄心术？我的心中一动，但如果不听他的，海老一定不肯说。我站起身道：“冯兄，你与弟兄们先到外面等着。如果我说要带此人出去，你不要听我的命令，立刻用冷水浇到我头上，将此人拿下。” 冯奇睁大了眼，可能他觉得我有点糊涂了。只是他再莫名其妙，也不多说什么，行了一礼道：“遵命。” 他带着三个十剑斩中人一块儿出去，我重新坐下来，道：“海老，假如你要用摄心术，我劝你还是算了。” 海老眼中闪过一丝惊诧，道：“原来你也知道摄心术。你也真的越来越厉害了，现在我就算对你用摄心术，也逃不出去。” 我道：“我也不信海老你会用这种手段。只是今天实在也太乱了，我本来更相信海老你决不会充当刺客，可是你仍然当了刺客。” 海老看着我，眼中灼灼放光。我知道那并不是施摄心术的意思，看着他的眼睛，也不避让。半晌，海老道：“岂但是你，我也不相信自己会来行刺，但还是来了。” 我道：“那么，请问究竟有什么原因？” 海老叹了口气，道：“原因很简单。你那四个保镖为什么会出去？” 我呆了呆，道：“海老你这是什么意思？” "What do you say?" 我皱起眉，过了好一会，才不确定地道：“我想来想去，只有一种可能了，是有人给你下了命令。” 海老气概极大，如果说有人能命令海老，我实在不敢相信。但我话刚出口，却见海老点了点头，眼中有嘉许之色。我更是诧异，道：“那么，到底是什么人能命令海老你？” 海老道：“楚休红，直到现在你似乎还很尊敬我。我想问问你，这是什么原因？” 我道：“当初在五羊城聆听海老你的教诲，你曾说过，天下万物皆是平等。此理我从来没想过，听海老你一言，方才茅塞顿开。更何况以前数次受过海老恩惠，楚某念兹在兹，绝不敢忘。因此，”我顿了顿，接道，“海老你居然前来行刺，便更让我奇怪了。” 海老叹了口气，道：“你既然也认为天下众生平等，不论是什么，都有活下去的权利，那你为何仍然提兵来此？” “受命于上，不敢有违。” 海老看着我，道：“我与你也是一般。”