Chapter 5 Chapter Thirty-Seven
The little prince was only a little slower than me, and as soon as I stopped, he had arrived.Reining in the horse behind me, the little prince suddenly exclaimed: "My God!"
Just two words.Other than these two words, he couldn't express his emotion.From a distance, the ground army and the snake man were fighting fiercely, but it was only when they got closer that they realized that it was so fierce.The snake men dug a ditch nearly a hundred steps away from the pass in Neipaoyuan, and they piled up a fortification on the back side of the ditch with the excavated soil, and they hid behind the fortification for defense.Although the Inner Pao Plain is larger than the Outer Pao Plain, the junction is relatively narrow. The trench is a full ten feet wide, and I don't know how deep it is, because there are corpses from the imperial army and snake people. The criss-cross pillows have actually filled up the ditch, and the two sides who are fighting at this time are actually standing on those corpses!
The imperial army knows that the final victory is coming, and there is no room for attack, and the snake people must also know that the end is coming, and they are fighting to the end.It's almost impossible to tell which is the snake man and which is the land army. I can only see those bodies intertwined in front of my eyes.As for those who were injured and fell to the ground, there was no possibility of being rescued. Once they fell to the ground, the people behind would rush up and step on him.The soldier's boots and the snake man's lower body were all stained red with blood, and from time to time, fountains of blood gushed out from the pile of corpses.
That is the blood spurted from the wounds of the still dead people and snake people on the ground floor when they were dying.
My heart was icy cold, and the little prince was even more stunned with fright, only a dry "hiss" sound came out of his throat.The tragic battles I have personally experienced are not rare, but such fierce battles even shocked me, let alone the little prince who has not fought a few battles.In the little prince's mind, leaping horses and spears, rushing to fight, are all the images in the stories that he yearns for. They are chic and heroic, and they can show off to those delicate ladies in the prince's banquet.But now, what he saw was a scene in hell. Everyone was like wild beasts, like ghosts, like evil spirits escaping from a nightmare, and they only knew how to swing their weapons desperately.Some people even accidentally injured their companions, but neither the one who swung the knife nor the one who was injured seemed to feel any sense, so they drew out their knives and continued to chop forward.The corpses piled up higher and higher, almost equal to the fortification of the Snakeman, and now they could attack the Snakeman behind the fortification.
What a scene from hell.If I wasn't the governor of the Land Legion, I must be one of the front ones now.Perhaps, before killing here, he would become a corpse.I just felt hot in my eyes, and tears welled up in my eyes.
During the attack, I was still high-spirited, calculating the gains and losses of every step, and seeing everything in front of me, I really realized that the so-called best strategy I planned actually cost the lives of so many soldiers.Wasn't I one of these soldiers once upon a time?I would have been just as angry if someone else had sacrificed my life to win.It's just that these dead soldiers in front of them, in the endless attack, do they still have the leisure to be angry?
I just felt my heart tremble, as if every dead body was about to stand up and look at me wordlessly, even including the snake man.The snake man named Mu Kun told me that if the snake man and us understand each other, peaceful coexistence may not be impossible.And what is the difference between the snake man named Mire who always wanted to see how we live, and those simple newcomers in the ground army?It's just that opportunities for reconciliation have been missed again and again, and the only thing left is a life-and-death struggle between you and me.
I just felt that there was nothing in front of me, and my heart was empty, which was extremely uncomfortable.The confrontation with the snake man has reached this point, and there is no chance of turning back.But will the Empire and the Republican Army come to this point one day?I suddenly hated myself.It wasn't until this moment that I realized that if Henry Ding wanted to make a move, he had actually missed several opportunities.He doesn't want to meet us in battle!But I was so preoccupied with how to guard against him that I didn't think about his thoughts at all.
I thought, let the tears flow, and never cared about others pointing at me.Everyone who died in battle here, including the snake people, has the right to live.Hai Lao said that all living beings in the world are equal and have the right to live.But at that time, in my opinion, this was just a deceitful empty talk, and even Hai Lao died in my hands, but now Hai Lao's words are resounding in my mind like thunder.
No, I will never let the Empire and Republican Army go to this point.
I reached out and looked.I have more or less power in my hands, but with this power, I must seek reconciliation between the Empire and the Republican Army.I've done it wrong once, and I must never make it a second time.
"What is General Chen going to do!"
The scream of the little prince brought me back to reality.I looked intently, but saw a group of people striding forward on the right front.
That is Chen Zhong's ax camp!The one walking in the front is Chen Zhong, who is wearing a helmet.It's just that what he was holding was not an ordinary battle axe, but two large axes. It seemed that the battle ax was broken in half and used as a hatchet.
Knowing that he was facing a desperate situation, those snake people formed a long embankment, and they would not retreat even if they died. Although the armored vehicles of Renziying had torn a few holes, those snake people almost filled the gaps with flesh and blood. , Those armored vehicles seemed to be welded to the ground by blood, unable to move.At this point, even if Yang Yi can use troops again, any formation tactics are useless, and he can only use courage to decide his life and death.Chen Zhongding was ready to fight desperately, using his life to break through the last line of defense of the snake man.
My heart felt hot, I got off my horse and hummed, "Feng Qi, take it!"
Due to the limited terrain in Fuxi Valley, cavalry is not suitable, so the Yongzi Battalion with the most cavalry was pulled to the end by me, and there were almost no cavalry in the attacking battalions.What's more, there are corpses under your feet, and it's even more unsafe to ride a horse.It's just that Feiyu must not make a mistake, I threw the rein to Feng Qi behind me, and ran forward.
Chen Zhong, here I come.I will never let you fight alone!
The blood seems to be burning in the chest.Even if I made a mistake this time, it can only continue to be wrong.The scene of fighting side by side with Chen Zhong back then appeared before his eyes again.
Stepping on the messy corpses on the ground, I rushed up quickly, and the sound of dismounting came from behind me. Those soldiers must have followed my example and killed them too.Chen Zhong was only a few dozen steps away from me. When I quickly walked behind him, about a dozen of the thirty or forty giant ax warriors he was carrying had fallen down.Several snakemen worked together to knock down a giant ax warrior beside him, and then leaped towards him with a long body, only to see that his two axes made a mistake, and the two giant axes spread out like butterfly wings, rushing to the front two. A snake man was chopped into three sections by him at the same time, and blood poured all over him.Probably the blood dazzled his eyes, Chen Zhong stretched out his hand to wipe it, at this moment, a snake man rushed up again, stabbing his chest with a spear.
I screamed: "Chen Zhong, be careful!" I threw my gun at the tip of the snake man's gun.Teacher Wu Zhao used to teach us marksmanship when he said: If you can't attack the door, you can't defend the door.The so-called entry means that the opponent is within the tip of the gun.Once the enemy enters the door, they must draw it back if they want to attack again, and no matter how fast the gun is drawn, it will take more than four times the time to draw the gun.If the two are on par, the difference in this period of time has already determined the outcome.Therefore, when firing the gun, you must not use too much power, and keep the tip of the gun at a distance from the opponent when you are punctual, and do not let the opponent enter the door.
To save Chen Zhong, I have to get in before the snake man stabs Chen Zhong.
Although I seldom go to battle in person now, I have never relaxed about practicing guns.So although the little prince's marksmanship has improved by leaps and bounds, he has never been able to gain the upper hand when compared with me.Now I have used all my strength, and my speed is much faster than usual. Although the snake man's long spear stabs fast, my movements are faster than its spear. After passing the tip of the gun, my body was almost attached to the snake man's gun shaft, and my gun was almost glued to its gun, piercing the snake man's chest.
This shot has exceeded my limit, not to mention that I have entered the door, I dare say that even if I am facing Teacher Wu Zhao, there is no way to face this shot.Although the snake man is powerful, his speed is not too fast. When I pounced on it, it was still drawing back its long spear, ready to stab again, but before it was too late, its spear had just been drawn back halfway, and my spear pierced into its heart.Under the pain, the snake man threw away the weapon and grasped the barrel of the gun with both hands.This time, it was much faster. I only felt a burning pain in my palm. The barrel of the gun was grinding against my palm, and it must have worn out my skin.I clenched my teeth and was about to fight back, when Chen Zhong suddenly slashed out with his left-handed axe.The snake man was grabbing the gun, but there was no way he could dodge it. The giant ax cut into its neck and chopped off its head. I took the opportunity to grab the gun back and walked to Chen Zhong, saying: "Chen Zhong, are you okay?" ?”
Chen Zhong said with a choked voice, "Chu... Chu... Dudu!" It wasn't the first time he fought side by side with me, but now that I rushed to his side, he was extremely moved.I saw that he seemed to be in tears of gratitude, and I was afraid that he would kneel on the ground to thank him desperately, and shouted: "If you have anything to say, save your life and go back and say it!"
Chen Zhong was stunned, and said: "Yes!" At this moment, another snake man rushed towards him, and he threw out the ax with his right hand, hitting the snake man's heart.Before the snakeman counterattacked, Chen Zhong had already bent down to pick up the big ax of a dead giant ax warrior on the ground, took a step forward, and shouted: "Kill!"
The power of this ax is really like a thunderbolt.The snake man had an ax in his heart, he was already half dead, how could he escape Chen Zhong's axe, in the shadow of the axe, half of its head was chopped off.
The power of this ax is too great, those snake people probably never thought that human beings would have such power, and they were too intimidated to move for a while.I saw this was an opportunity, and I was waiting to invite others to attack, when suddenly Xia Linian's loud voice came from behind: "The governor charges in person, good men of the empire, go!"
Before Xia Linian's voice fell, Feng Qi and a few Shijian Zhans rushed behind me carrying my banner, and the little prince and a few personal soldiers were sandwiched between them.The little prince no longer had the panic he had just now, and his face was full of excitement.He rushed to me in three steps and said: "General Chu, I asked them to carry your flag up."
Although the wind here is not as strong as in the canyon, it still blows the flags.My banner is the center of the ground army. It used to be in the middle and back of the team, but this time it was inserted in the front line.I grabbed the flagpole and said, "Okay. Feng Qi, you guard the flag."
The banner was inserted into the pile of corpses underground, and it was unclear whether it was the corpse of the snake man or the corpse of the imperial army.As my banner was fixed, all the armies gave out a cheer at the same time, and someone shouted: "Long live!" They cheered together, and the sound of "long live" went straight into the sky.
Amidst the cheers, the ground army's offensive suddenly intensified a lot.Those soldiers almost seemed to be possessed, no longer caring about the danger, rushing forward, even if the comrades in front of them were pierced by a snake man and chopped into two pieces, the people behind still rushed forward as if they didn't see it at all.
This offensive not only frightened the little prince, Chen Zhong and I were also stunned.Once the human power erupts, there will be such a power of earth-shattering!The snake people were defending the line of defense and still had some advantages, but this wave of offensive beat them to the point of being helpless, and some snake people even dropped their weapons and started to turn around and run away.And once there is a breach in the defense line, the hole will be torn apart, like a dam that was washed away by a flood. It was still impenetrable just now, but it was washed away in a blink of an eye.
The army was defeated like a mountain.The retreat of the snake man this way was beyond control.Now the imperial army is all overwhelmed, as long as the snake man who is being chased becomes several corpses in the blink of an eye, and some soldiers who were injured by the snake man's counterattack have no one to take care of them at all, and everyone is desperately moving forward. Only one thought: kill!
I saw a wounded soldier and ran over to help him up.Feng Qi and the other two Shijianzhan followed and helped me to bring him back.The soldier was seriously injured. After being injured, he was stepped on by the soldiers behind him a few times. He was already dying and couldn't speak, but he still had a smile on his face.
On the face of such a wounded soldier, it seemed a bit mysterious to actually see a smile.I snorted and didn't say anything, but I heard someone on the left shout loudly: "Renziying listens to the order and forms an formation!" It was Yang Yi's voice.Although the Renzi Battalion was on the way to attack, a group of soldiers among them suddenly formed an eight formation map.
After forming an formation, although the march is not as fast as the rebel army, it is more powerful when advancing, and it will not cause accidental injury among our own people.
Good Yang Yi.I admired secretly, turned my head and said: "Chen Zhong, you also quickly let the Xinzi camp form."
Chen Zhong originally rushed to fight with the courage of his blood, but when I stopped him at this time, he looked a little tired and was panting heavily.Hearing my words, Chen Zhong nodded, let out two long breaths, and raised his voice: "Xinziying listens to the order and forms an formation!"
Many soldiers of the Xinzi Battalion had already rushed to the front when they broke through the Snakeman defense line just now, but with Chen Zhong's order, those soldiers of the Xinzi Battalion also formed an eight formation at once, not much slower than Yang Yi .Chen Zhong is a brave man, not proficient in the art of war, but he has an advantage, he can respect the corporals, he is very kind to those middle and lower rank officers and soldiers, and he likes to lead the way when he goes to the battlefield, so his subordinates are very hardworking.Seeing that the formation was completed, he raised his spirits and said, "Captain, the last general has returned to the team."
I said: "Chen Zhong, don't go back to the team, stay by my side."
Chen Zhong didn't say anything, just said: "Obey."
Once Chen Zhong gets angry, he will rush forward desperately.Just now he personally led the giant ax warrior to attack, if we hadn't arrived, I'm afraid he would be at a great disadvantage.Normally, he has the support of joining the army, so there will be no troubles, but now it is a general attack, and Chen Zhong doesn't need to lead too much, and if he has any troubles, it will deal a great blow to the morale of the army, so I simply let Chen Zhong stay by my side.
Just as he called Chen Zhong, Cao Wendao's voice suddenly came from behind him: "Control."
Cao Wendao and the Fire Legion came over.Cao Wendao came to my side and said loudly: "Controlling, let the Yongzi Battalion charge."
I didn't even think about it, I just said: "Don't act rashly, Yongziying will assist the Huo Legion to speed up."
Cao Wendao was startled, and said, "Do you still need to use Shenlong Cannon?"
"The snake man's line of defense is definitely not limited to this one."
Now Renziying is attacking as a forward, Lianziying is assisting, and Xinziying is mopping up those fish that escaped the net. When Cao Wendao rushed over, the ground was full of corpses.Most of the corpses of soldiers from the Imperial Army were still at the line of defense. Looking around here, they were basically the corpses of Snakemen.Such a miserable defeat is no longer the mage's trick to lure the enemy that day, but I am still a little worried, afraid that something will happen again.Master Tian sent a snake man to attack our rear army from the ground. If I hadn't strengthened the rear's strength to guard against the Republican army, I'm afraid Master Tian would have succeeded.Cao Wendao was very dissatisfied, muttering in his mouth, generally complaining about not being able to make meritorious service.
Nei Pao is very big, no less than a small town.The more you go in, the fewer corpses there are on the ground. Obviously, the snake people have been almost wiped out.It’s just that more and more imperial troops gathered in the front, and the people behind the line were quite idle. Some even found a stone to sit and rest, and they were all eating dry food with drinking water. They stood up and saluted when they saw us coming.The little prince was surprised and said: "What's the matter, the snake people have been wiped out?" A soldier heard it and said: "Master, the brothers from the Renzi Battalion are attacking in front, and we can't go up. General Yang asked us to repair it for now." ,eat something."
I said: "The snake man built another fortification in front?"
The soldier said: "I heard that this time it's a cave, and there are too many people, so hands and feet are bound."
It's a cave!My heart seemed to be caught by something.Hai Lao said that they lived in the cave originally, could it be here?I said: "Feng Qi, come with me. Cao Wendao, let the Fire Legion speed up."
If the snake man seals the entrance of the cave, with this cave, he can still hold on for a while.But they have already retreated to the cave, and the Shenlong Cannon can exert its greatest power.I ran forward, and the soldiers in front stepped aside one after another, cheering loudly when they saw my flag.After running for a distance, seeing that the uniforms of those soldiers belonged to Renziying, I turned my head and said, "Feng Qi, ask what is going on."
Feng Qi rushed forward and said loudly, "Brothers from Renzi Camp, what's going on?"
A soldier shouted: "Commander, the snake man blocked the cave with huge stones."
Block the cave with boulders?I was stunned, so to speak, the mage was ready to give up the snake people outside from the very beginning that day.What was he doing to seal the hole?
Just as I was thinking about it, Jian Zhonglan suddenly ran up and whispered: "General Chu, the snake man is going to chisel the mountain and escape."
I was about to say it was impossible, but I was shocked again.Master Tian's subordinates are commanding snake people, not human beings.If it was a human being, it would be a joke to try to escape by chiseling a mountain, but for the powerful snake man, this is entirely possible.My heart froze, and I didn't say anything, but at this moment, I saw a horse riding over from Renziying in front, and it was Yang Yi.He was covered in blood, and when he approached me, he saluted and said, "Commander, the general will welcome you."
I didn't have time to say these polite words to him, so I said, "Yang Yi, did the snake man seal the cave entrance with stones?"
Yang Yi nodded and said, "Exactly." His face also seemed to be surprised, and he said, "General Chu, don't the snake people treat the same kind as brothers?"
The snake people in the front are fighting bloody battles with us, but the snake people in the rear have blocked all the escape routes.At the foot of Dongping City, I led the cavalry to steal the camp, but when I came back, I found that the city gate was closed and we were not allowed to enter the city. In despair, the entire army lost its fighting spirit in an instant.Now these snake people must have also discovered this result. If the cave is opened, they will retreat and die.Knowing that they were betrayed by Master Tian is probably also one of the reasons why these snake people who stood firm on the line of defense suddenly collapsed.It's not easy for me to tell Yang Yi that Master Tian is actually not a snake man, but I just said: "Brother Yang, the Shenlong Cannon will be delivered soon."
Yang Yi showed joy on his face, and said: "Great. I was worried that when Qian Long would procrastinate until he came, it would be good if he came. Shoot a few shots at those rocks, or they will be thrown out." Slit."
I said, "How about the loss of Renzi Camp?"
Yang Yi had a happy face just now, but now his face elongated, and he said: "I report to the governor, I will die at the end. Since the beginning of this battle, the Renzi Battalion has lost more than half of its personnel."
Yang Yi has always been extremely calm, never showing his emotions or anger, but now he is also a little impulsive.This wave of attack shocked him too much. The result of the battle has never been so brilliant, and the loss has never been so great.The Renzi Battalion has always been known for reducing its personnel. Yang Yi selected dozens of smart soldiers in the army to learn some bandaging and first aid, and set up a first aid camp in the camp to rescue injured comrades at any time, and the effect was excellent.I promote this point among all the armies, but the Renzi Camp is the best practice.But even so, Renziying still lost half of its brothers, and he must feel bad.
I said, "Brother Yang, stop blaming yourself. This is what war is like. Only after blood has been shed can you truly understand the value of peace."
Yang Yi smiled wryly, "I'd rather never understand than to leave so much blood."
I choked on what he said.What he said is not wrong, but it seems that he is deliberately refuting me by saying it now. With Yang Yiping's usual personality, he would never say such a thing.I stopped talking about this, looked back and said, "Where's the Fire Legion? Please hurry up."
Yang Yidao: "General Gan should be coming soon."
I was trying to change the subject, but Yang Yi came to comfort me instead.I smiled wryly to myself, and said, "General Yang, have you heard any abnormal noises in the cave?"
Yang Yi was a little surprised, and saluted, "Captain, the general did hear the faint sound of hammering and chiseling inside, presumably they were chiseling down stones to block the entrance of the cave."
This did not occur to me.It seems that if you don't break this door soon, it will become more and more difficult.If I fall short for Shan Jiuren, then I won't have to sleep peacefully for the rest of my life.I was anxious for a while, and said: "Go and see the entrance of the cave."
The entrance of the cave is not very big, it is about a round hole with a diameter of about ten feet, but now there are a lot of stones piled up to block the entrance of the cave tightly.If you want to dig this hole, you can't do it in a day or two.
The little prince clicked his tongue and said, "The snake man is so powerful! He blocked the entrance of the cave just now."
I saw that the soldiers at the entrance of the cave were not digging the gravel, but digging into the ground instead.I was stunned, my mind lit up, and I shouted: "Brother Yang, what a plan!"
Yang Yiding found that it was almost impossible to forcibly dig out the stones, but there was still soil at the bottom of the cave. He hollowed out the bottom of the cave, leaving only a thick layer of soil, and then blasted the soil layer with a thunderstorm. The stones at the entrance of the cave will fall into the cave on the ground by themselves.This is much easier than digging the stones directly.
Yang Yi didn't have much joy on his face, and said: "This mountain is full of solid rocks. Although there is still soil at the entrance of the cave, when you dig three feet into it, you will touch the stone bones. In addition, the snake man kept adding stones from the inside, If General Gan arrives a moment later, the chances of this plan failing will be greatly increased."
I said, "Have you used up all the mine bombs in the army?"
Yang Yi nodded and said, "There is nothing left." All the armies originally had some explosive mines, but this battle has been used up from morning till night.Because we knew that this was the last battle, we stopped saving firearms, but we didn't expect that the snake man came up with such the stupidest and most effective strategy in the end, leaving us with nothing to do.
I suddenly remembered something, and said, "Have you asked General Shao?"
Shao Fengguan's Wind Legion uses Thunderbolt.Because the Thunderbolt has to be carried to the sky, it cannot be too heavy, so compared with the land mine, the sound and smoke of the Thunderbolt are much louder, but the explosive power is smaller.It's just that no matter what, the Thunderbolt can also explode, and if you put a few more, it can explode the mud layer.
Yang Yi was stunned, and said: "Damn it, I haven't asked General Shao..."
Before he finished speaking, one of my personal soldiers suddenly came over and said: "Captain, General Shao is here."
Shao Fengguan arrived as soon as he said it, I was both surprised and happy, and said: "Let him come over quickly!" In desperation, I lost even the politeness.Fortunately, Shao Fengguan and I know each other very well, so he doesn't mind.
The soldier promised, just as he was about to turn around, the crowd suddenly stepped aside, three horses galloped towards him, it was Shao Fengguan.I went up to meet him and shouted loudly: "General Shao!"
Shao Feng watched the horse ride very fast.When he got close to me, he got off his horse, took out two balls from the back of the saddle and said, "Brother Chu, I still have two Thunderbolts left here, I think you must use them."
I smiled and said: "Brother Shao, you are really sending charcoal in a timely manner." I took the two Thunderbolts, handed them to Yang Yi, and said, "Use this first."
At this time, the soldiers who were digging the hole had already dug the hole very deep, Yang Yi stepped forward and called out all the soldiers who were digging the hole, and asked them to put the two thunderbolts away.After a while, two soldiers ran out of the cave, and Yang Yi came towards us with his horse, shouting, "Be careful!"
As soon as Yang Yi came over, he heard the sound of heaven and earth cracking, and a tongue of fire two or three feet long spewed out from the crypt at the entrance of the cave, but the stones blocking the entrance of the cave remained motionless.I was stunned and said, "Failed?"
Yang Yi got off his horse, leaned on the ground and listened, and shouted: "Everyone be careful! Get your swords and guns ready!"
He had just finished speaking when another loud bang was heard.Although the sound was not as loud as when the Thunderbolt exploded, it even shook the ground, and a puff of dust rose suddenly, but a large piece of the ground at the entrance of the cave collapsed, and the stones blocking the entrance of the cave fell suddenly. Go down and fill up the crypt again.The hole was exposed.Dust sprayed out from the hole, but it could be seen that stones several feet high had been piled up inside.After a while, the snake man will be able to block another layer inside.
All the armies were startled for a while, then suddenly they all burst out "Long live", and the crowd rushed inward.Although they knew that there were still snake men inside, those who rushed in first probably escaped death, but these soldiers didn't seem to think about their own safety at all, and rushed in rushing in first.
I was afraid that the little prince would rush in again, so I shouted: "The three battalions of benevolence, faith, and honesty, don't move rashly!" The local army and the supplementary Xifu army, the total number of these three battalions is still at least 20,000.If all 20,000 people rushed in, the cave would be completely filled.But now the battalions can't hear my order at all, they are still rushing in roaring.It's just that after they rushed in, the people behind didn't look cramped when they rushed in. Obviously, the cave was bigger than I imagined.Seeing that I couldn't stop them, I turned to Yang Yi and said, "General Yang, quickly order someone to prepare torches."
Although the snake man's eyes cannot see far, they can see day and night.It must be very dark in the cave, and it's okay when you get close to the door, but once you walk in, your eyes will definitely be dizzy and you won't be able to see clearly.I can't stop the army's attack, so try to reduce their casualties as much as possible.
As soon as the torch was lit, the little prince said, "General Chu, let's go in too."
The killing sounds from the cave have subsided a bit, but it is obviously not that the fighting inside is coming to an end, but that the snake man is fleeing in, and the ground army soldiers are chasing them.I took an unlit torch and threw it over, saying: "Little Highness, take this." He was so excited to kill, I was afraid that he would order again.You can always notice him outside, if you get lost in the hole, it's over.I gave him a torch to save him from always tempted to fight.
The little prince took the torch, but said again: "Please, General Chu."
After the bloody battle just now, the little prince finally began to mature.
"and after?"
The emperor has listened with gusto.Not only him, but even the serving servants listened with their ears open.Before I could speak again, the little prince rushed to the side and said: "Brother Dijun, I followed General Chu and killed him. Once inside, I realized that there is a cave inside. It is bigger than we imagined. That cave can hold at least ten thousand people. "
It has been more than two months since that earth-shattering fierce battle ended, but the little prince was still elated when he said it.He was so excited that he simply walked to the front and said gesticulating.If it was someone else, the left and right would have scolded him for "despising the emperor".But Dijun himself didn't care, and everyone else knew about the friendship between Dijun and the little prince, cousins.
With the little prince coming to explain, I also saved a lot of worry.The little prince has been with me since entering the cave, and he knows everything.I couldn't help but secretly glanced at Marquis Wen on the side, not knowing what it was like.
During the triumphant class, I was always worried about how I would face the scolding of Marquis Wen after I returned to the imperial capital.In the second half of this expedition, what I said to Marquis Wen was completely contrary to what he ordered me to master. The breeding ground of the snake people he ordered me to control was also destroyed by the fire of the Shenlong Cannon. I think he must have hated me to death.But when I returned to the imperial capital, what surprised me was that Marquis Wen suddenly became taciturn, but Zhang Longyou was very energetic and said a lot.
Wen Hou was emptied.This is the first information I got when I returned to the imperial capital.Marquis Wen was conferred the title of Duke Wen Xin by the emperor in the name of "doing his best for the country", but he ascended and surrendered secretly, and took back his right to control the army and his position as the vice priest of the imperial military academy.
It was probably the first time in his life that Marquis Wen was manipulated behind his back.But this time it was the emperor who manipulated him, and Marquis Wen had nothing to do.And the one who advises the emperor must be Zhang Longyou who is now in high spirits.
Looking at Marquis Wen, I suddenly felt sympathy.I haven't seen him for more than a year, and Marquis Wen has aged a lot.No matter how domineering Marquis Wen was later, it was this man who led the defense of the imperial capital after all.The war with the Snake Man took this battle as a turning point.But now the emperor is obviously ignoring him on purpose. Although Wenhou was sitting next to him at the banquet, he hasn't said a word to Wenhou until now.
When I saw Marquis Wen's dejected eyes, I felt like a needle pricked my heart.Marquis Wen is not the kind of person who can't recover from a setback when he is hit. He is like this, is his heart dead?Both Zhang Longyou and I were single-handedly selected by him, but I completely violated his plan when I was outside, and Zhang Longyou pressed harder and harder, forcing him to back down.In the eyes of Marquis Wen, Zhang Longyou and I undoubtedly betrayed him.He had been estranged from me already, but he always regarded Zhang Longyou as my thigh. When Zhang Longyou showed his true face, he must have been hit harder than Zhang Longyou's betrayal.
The little prince was gesticulating and said, "We took every step to kill the cave, and the snake people retreated steadily. The cave is so big that after retreating for nearly a mile, the snake people never retreated." Suddenly, he stood in the middle of the road and blocked our way. There was no sunlight here at all, and the light from the torch only illuminated a small area. We could vaguely see that the place is not big. The snake man seemed to have made up his mind when he arrived here. They will not retreat any more, each of them is waiting for us with a weapon in hand."
Speaking of this, the little prince added fuel to the snake man's strict preparation.I know that what he used was to suppress first when he wants to increase, and to exaggerate the power of the snake man first, because the next step is for the Fire Legion to show its might.
"Because this place is extremely narrow, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack. If we attack by force, it will be difficult to capture, so we simply waited for it, and let the Fire Legion use the Shenlong Cannon to clear the way. After the first artillery bombardment, those snakemen blocking the way were bombarded. They are fragmented, but they are still steadfastly defending, using the dead as fortifications. I have never seen such a fierce battle."
The little prince also sighed at this point.Although he had never seen many fierce battles before, just listening to his tone made people feel the thrill of this fierce battle at that time.
King An Le interjected, "What happened next?"
Just as the little prince was talking happily, he said: "Later..." Zhang Longyou suddenly said: "Later, it was His Royal Highness and General Chu who won the flag, and soon succeeded. Your Majesty has such a loyal and brave general, and it is a blessing to our empire. A toast to the General."
As soon as we arrived in the imperial capital, the little prince and I received a secret order from the emperor, asking us not to disclose the last scene of the snake man.The little prince was excited to speak, Zhang Longyou must have told all these secret things because he was afraid that his words would be slippery.I watched Zhang Longyou hold up the cup to me, and I didn't know what it was like.When Guo Anmin brought the emperor's secret decree, asking me to break through the snake camp at all costs, I must bring a pair of snake captives to the imperial capital.It must be Zhang Longyou who wants to tame the snake man and use it to fight.
After the welcome banquet, the emperor decreed that the little prince and I had worked hard and made great achievements, and gave the imperial study room a rest.When bidding farewell to those princes and ministers, King Anle was so happy that his eyes were closed because the little prince was safe and sound and made great achievements, and he patted me on the shoulder twice.When I said goodbye to Marquis Wen, I wanted to say something to him, but Marquis Wen was very indifferent. He just bowed his hands to me and said a few polite words, just like a passerby.Although I had expected this day for a long time, I still felt very uncomfortable.
After the princes and ministers left, the little prince and I sat in the study and warmed up the fire and drank tea and waited.While eating the veal roasted on the stove, the little prince asked enthusiastically, "General Chu, what will Big Brother seal us for?"
I smiled and said: "Your Highness, you can probably be named commander, but I'm afraid I can be named deputy general."
There are not many deputy generals now, they are all veteran generals full of children and grandchildren, and the only general is Marquis Wen.And the emperor was the marshal when he was the prince, and he has not relinquished this post since he came to the throne, so the deputy general is actually the highest rank in the army.I have been a partial general for many years, but due to my seniority, I have not been able to be promoted to deputy general.But this time he solved the snake man in one fell swoop, so he should become the deputy general anyway.
Just as they were talking, a voice came from outside: "Brother-in-law, little brother, you have been waiting for a long time, haha."
It was Dijun's voice.I knelt down with the little prince and said: "Your Majesty, the last general is polite."
Dijun walked in in casual clothes.As soon as he entered, he turned around and closed the door, came over and pulled one with each hand, and said, "What's the point now, let's talk inside, talk inside."
There are quite a few books in the imperial study room, but many of them are brand new, and they have probably never been read since they were put on the shelves.The emperor sat down and said with a smile on his face: "Brother-in-law, little brother, sit down. You don't have to be restrained now, you can say what you want, we are close relatives, and we will not be monarchs and ministers if we retire, haha."
After we sat down, Dijun chatted about some official affairs.His speech is gentle and elegant, and his voice is clear and clear, and there is nothing unusual in his voice.
Just as he was talking, a child's voice suddenly came from outside: "Daddy, are you there?" The voice was a bit childish, and Dijun showed joy on his face, and shouted: "Ahu, Daddy is here."
The door opened, and a small footstep ran in.My heart skipped a beat, and my heart felt as if it was overwhelmed.帝君不算太好色，现在有一子一女。由于皇后无出，而这个太子是最受帝君宠爱的枫妃生的，一直传说即使将来皇后有嗣，仍然可能立这个太子为储。我当然不管皇储不皇储，想到的只是如果太子过来的话，那么她也会来吧。
一想到她，就想起在高鹫城时，在武侯宴上第一次见到她的情景。太久了，久得已恍如隔世，她的黄衫与琵琶，那细碎崩玉般的声音，渐渐也如一个旧梦般模糊，但现在一刹那间又变得清晰起来。
我不由得站起身。刚站起来，一个宫女已追着一个小孩子跑了进来。一见帝君和我们都在里面，那宫女吓得面色煞白，跪倒在地，道：“陛下，奴婢万死。”
帝君已一把抱住了那孩子，手指摸着孩子圆滚滚的下巴，那孩子也咯咯笑着。见这宫女跪下，帝君笑道：“不用了，先出去候着吧，等一会再带太子出去。”
那宫女磕了个头，退了出去。小王子见这孩子好玩，凑上去道：“陛下大哥，太子叫阿虎么？真好玩。”
帝君笑道：“枫妃生他之前，说是梦见有人手格鼠虎，我才给他取了这名。”
“手格鼠虎”。这四个字像四把尖刀，我几乎要晕过去。在逃出高鹫城途中，不就是我与一头鼠虎恶斗，救下她么？她一直没有忘了我！我心里已不知道什么滋味，只是盯着这小太子，想在他脸上看出她的样子来。只是这小太子更像帝君，并不太像她，而她的样子，在我记忆里也已模糊得多了。
帝君忽道：“妹夫，你过来听封。”
我呆了呆，跪了下来。帝君拉着太子的手，笑道：“阿虎，这位是楚休红将军，你要记得了，他是你姑父。叫一声，明天让姑父带你去骑马。”
太子看着我，有点怯生生地道：“姑父。”虽然有点不情愿，显然骑马的诱惑力还很大。
帝君哈哈笑道：“妹夫，别的官明天上朝时再封你，今天我先封你个太子少师，阿虎将来骑马打仗，就归你教了。”
小王子在一边道：“陛下大哥，那你封我什么？”
帝君笑道：“小弟，我就封你太子御前走马。以后你这小侄要骑马，就骑你头上了，哈哈。”
小王子怔了怔，怒道：“大哥，你也太欺负人了！”不等他说完，帝君又笑道：“笑话笑话，小弟，你也是太子少师，以后就教阿虎枪法。”
小王子这才转嗔为喜，道：“行，我一定全教他。我的枪法，嘿嘿，连楚将军都说好。”
帝君只是打了个哈哈，多半不信。其实他真个没想到，单以枪法而论，小王子的确已经超越我了。帝君将太子放下来，道：“阿虎，你先跟小叔叔去玩，我后书房有一套水钟，你让小叔叔教你玩。”
小王子一怔，道：“什么水钟？”
“那是工部呈上来的，以土木金石制成，是将御花园缩成两丈见方，当中引水。十二个时辰中，每到整点，都会有木人自动出来报时，平时则由水流带动，会自行运动。”
这一定是薛文亦想出来的东西了。薛文亦号称妙手，手工之巧，直追当年的大匠鲁晰子。小王子被一下吊起了好奇心，伸手道：“太子，来，我带你去玩。”
等小王子带着太子进了书房后厅，帝君忽然正色道：“妹夫，现在没人了，你也好说，为什么没按我的话把一对蛇人带来。”
他眼中射出逼人的寒光，隐约就是当初那个跋扈的文侯。我心头一寒，离座跪下道：“陛下，末将该死。只因蛇人实在太强，全都宁死不降，而且，在那里我没能再发现有一个母的蛇人。”
说蛇人宁死不降，那只是推诿之言，要抓两个俘虏不是办不到的。只是听到蛇人中没有母的，帝君一下皱起了眉，道：“这怎么可能！那许多蛇人难道是天上掉下来的么？”
我道：“因为蛇人繁衍，大异寻常。末将攻入蛇人巢穴，发现了一件异事。”
帝君提起精神，道：“什么异事？”
“巢穴中，竟是一台金铁所制机械在制造蛇人之蛋。”
帝君眼中一片茫然，道：“造出来的？真有此事？”
“末将不敢谎报。此事实在太过奇异，末将乍见也不敢相信。那巢穴中蛇人之卵不知有几，蛇人从中孵化而出，源源不断，故而能不断兵源。”
帝君脸上已露出喜色，道：“那你将那台机械带来了么？”
我顿了顿，先磕了个头道：“末将万死。这机械极为沉重，而且一旦拆开，末将也不知道该如何组装，何况当时外有共和军窥测，末将无法瞒过他们耳目。权衡之下，末将下令将其炸毁。”
帝君像被针刺了一下，忽地站起来，叫道：“炸毁了？浑蛋！”他一直对我“妹夫妹夫”地叫个不停，十分亲热，此时却是一副恼羞成怒的样子，只怕怒头上要杀我也不一定。我心知自己的生死已在此顷刻之间，又磕了个头道：“此物狼犺难运，而若将此物留在原处，只怕共和军会用此物孵化蛇人，故末将思量再三，还是毁去此物方为上策。”
帝君颓然坐倒，喃喃道：“毁了，毁了……”他忽然眼中寒光一闪，道，“共和军后来怎么会不下手？”
我犹豫了一下道：“陛下，此事实全赖共和军主将丁亨利居间调停。丁亨利此人虽然身在共和，但心向帝国，不愿与末将兵戎相见，故末将得以全身而返。”假如说丁亨利不愿两军无谓交战，帝君恐怕不会理解。假如我与丁亨利易地而处，帝君的第一个命令就会要我趁丁亨利交战之际攻打。现在我说几句瞎话，帝君反而更能相信，反正丁亨利也不在跟前，不会冒出头来说他根本没有心向帝国的意思。
帝君哼了一声，道：“心向帝国？没那么简单，此人只怕也有点冬烘而已。”他叹了口气，又道，“这人也到帝都来了吧？”
我道：“是。此番远征，若无共和军提供粮草补给，我军不可能得胜。末将以为，共和军颇有诚意，不妨与其周旋一番。”
帝君叹了口气，道：“楚将军，你既然没把那东西带来，便只能如此了。周旋一阵，嘿嘿，其实甄砺之倒是此道高手。”
我没有说，那台孵化机体积并不算大，如果拆下来应该不见得太难。只是一旦拆了下来，那么丁亨利再想回避战争，伏羲谷外一场恶战也已难免不了了。当时钱文义已然赶到，而丁亨利守住了风刀峡，一旦动手，钱文义部固然可以重创他，但丁亨利如果豁出去的话，他拼着损失半数兵员，也足以将我封死在伏羲谷里，直到最后两败俱伤。以何从景的意思，一定是觉得我绝对不会放弃蛇人繁殖之秘，所以才会让丁亨利在当时动手吧。只是他没想到我最终毁去了蛇人的孵化机，再这样两败俱伤就有点不值得了。当时共和军几乎已将全军都开到了伏羲谷前，而帝国军还有水火两军以及一些常规军，总体实力强弱不言而喻。所以最终丁亨利笑脸相迎，皆大欢喜，仍是南武公子的意思。现在这样，也是双方都能接受的唯一结果。只是听帝君这么说，我道：“陛下，将来该如何应对五羊城提出的要求？”
帝君道：“以后的事，以后再说。你起来吧，说说，五羊城战力如何？”
我站起来坐好，道：“丁亨利称得上世之名将。以他为首的共和七天将，每个都是不俗之才，大为可畏。”
帝君道：“兵来将挡，这倒不用担心。共和叛反，终是逆贼，总有一天要解决他们的。”
他眼里又闪过了一丝杀气。我越来越觉得他和张龙友两个就像两个小号的文侯，心头不禁有点忐忑，道：“陛下，邓将军与毕将军两人现在如何？”
帝君笑了笑，道：“不必担心他们。现在他们已经不是甄砺之的人了。”
我怔了怔。水火二将是文侯一手提拔起来的心腹，若非当初文侯想做掉邵风观，我想邵风观也不会离心的。说他们会背弃文侯，简直让我难以相信。当初帝君下旨，命我务必要在自新二年十二月底赶回来。我紧赶慢赶，总算在十二月二十三日抵达帝都。当时觉得他这么急，多半是担心水火二将会奉文侯之命反叛，但我们回帝都时，二将都镇守在外，并没有什么异常。听帝君说这水火二将已经不是文侯的人了，我才恍然大悟，但也大感意外。文侯在接风宴上如此落寞，最让他失望的恐怕就是邓沧澜和毕炜这水火二将与他决裂吧。文侯倚仗的，就是地、水、火、风这帝国最为精锐的四相军团，但让他想不到的是，一夜之间四相军团居然都不再听他指挥了。我与邵风观原本就已不受文侯信任，但他视水火二将为私人，这两人居然也会背弃他，对文侯的打击远在这两人的反水这件事本身之上。我道：“邓将军和毕将军也会不听文侯的话？”
“毕胡子有奶便是娘，邓沧澜受他裹胁，不得不然。何况，”帝君浮起了一丝狡黠的笑意，“邓沧澜满脑子都想着南宫闻礼的老婆，只要可娜夫人对他说一句，他全都言听计从。”
南宫闻礼的妻子名叫可娜，曾经做过郡主和小王子的老师，和南宫闻礼结婚并不太久，南宫闻礼说她只是万年县县令的女儿，邓沧澜是后起一代名将的佼佼者，与毕炜不同，人也长得清雅潇洒，没想到居然会喜欢她。只是帝君连这些都知道，我心底不由有些隐隐的不安。
帝君真的像个小号的文侯，文侯便是这样，对手下人的喜怒哀乐，生活起居也全都了若指掌。假如方才小太子过来也是帝君安排的话……
帝君忽地站起来，慢慢道：“妹夫，蛇人已灭，百废待兴，接下来你却任重而道远啊。”
我也站起来，道：“陛下，末将愿为国出力，不惜肝脑涂地。”
“说不定，真会有这一天吧。”
他喃喃地说着，手背到身后，只看着窗外的暮色。暮色沉沉，夜风凛冽，吹得窗纸也瑟瑟作响。