Chapter 6 Chapter 22

On August 7th, the land and water joint army set off.The ground army dispatched three battalions of Ren, Lian, and Yong, with a total of more than 20,000 people. The water army suffered heavy losses due to Li Yaotian's defeat, and now less than 7,000 can fight.The Wind Legion attacked together as an assistant, and the Fire Legion also dispatched two Shenlong cannons, and a thousand soldiers joined the conscripts, so this time it was also a joint attack by the Four Phase Legion, but the total number was less than 30,000.However, in the past, the wind corps and the ground corps cooperated more, but this time they were incorporated into the water corps.

When we set off, Shao Fengguan and I sat on the Yaoguang, one of the two flagships of the Water Corps.The warships of the Water Legion are divided into four grades of "wind, flower, snow and moon" from large to small. The length of the wind-class warship is more than forty feet, and the width is also more than twenty feet. It is an unprecedented huge ship in the empire. And tailor-made.The take-off conditions of the Wind Legion are quite strict, and there must be a relatively flat open space. The previous warships were too small, but the wind-class warships are enough for flying planes to take off.

It was several years ago that Marquis Wen had the idea to build such a giant ship.But this kind of ship is too huge, and the Ministry of Industry failed to build it repeatedly. Ye Feihu, who was in charge of the shipbuilding, worked hard and spent several years before he was able to build it successfully. There are three ships in Kaiyang, among which Pojun was taken away by Yuxinzi to search for the elixir.Standing at the stern and watching the trees on both sides recede, I couldn't help but sigh for Li Yaotian again.If Li Yaotian hadn't set off in such a hurry, with such a huge ship, he would not be afraid of the wind and waves, and the battle to conquer the Japanese might be successful.

Just as I was thinking, Shao Fengguan's voice suddenly sounded behind me: "Brother Chu, it's so hot, aren't you afraid of the sun?" I turned my head, only to see Shao Fengguan standing behind me, holding a spool in one hand and a net bag in the other.I said, "Do you want to fish?" "August is full of water, which is a good time to eat fish. Do you want to fish? Sitting on a boat for more than ten days, people will be suffocated." Fishing on such a huge ship, the fishing rod is useless, what Shao Fengguan uses is a circle of very thick silk thread, and a hook is also a bit scary.I laughed and said, "Can a fish swallow such a big hook?"

"Only a big hook can catch a big fish." Shao Fengguan put the net bag on the deck, hung bait on the hook, and swung the fishing line a few times. When he let go, the heavy hammer flew straight out with the hook.His arm strength is quite strong, and throwing the hook also requires skill. He is very skilled in throwing the hook, and it seems that he is used to fishing.I wanted to try it too, but when I saw him like this, I shook my head and said, "I can't do it, I'm afraid I can't throw the hook very far. Have you practiced for a long time?" Shao Fengguan put the line, and said: "When I was guarding Dongping and Dongyang, I often went fishing every August and September. At that time, I was sitting on the top of the seven or eight feet of the city, which was higher than here. Bring a pot of wine, The fish caught are grilled and eaten right away, and the cool breeze blows over, which makes me feel very comfortable and happy.” He said, narrowing his eyes, as if he was recalling the scene at that time.

I said, "Can you grill fish on the boat?" Shao Fengguan said: "Of course it can be done. Wait for a while to catch it, and I will let you have a taste of my craft." This fishing method is a little different from the general ones. There is no float, and it all depends on the feeling in the hands.He was engrossed in looking at the water, I was a little bored, and was about to find a shady place to sit and rest, when Shao Fengguan suddenly said: "Brother Chu is right, who is the supervisor in your army? Is it easy to get along with?" I said: "The supervisor of the ground army is okay. You only have 800 people there, so you probably didn't send them."

Shao Fengguan snorted, and said: "How could it not be, a Huangmen came here, and he was arrogant all day long. This group of people who were sentenced to death, I really don't know what medicine the emperor took wrongly, so he insisted on sending them down. Your supervisor, the new I was probably honest when I came here, but in a few days there will be five of us and six of us." I said: "No, my supervisor is Prince Anle's son." Shao Fengguan was surprised and said: "It's the little prince? Your brother-in-law? No wonder, the emperor seems to really regard you as his own, and even the supervising army is as you like. By the way, have you ever had a woman?"

I was startled, then smiled dryly and said, "Why do you think of asking this?" Shao Fengguan looked up at the white clouds in the sky, suddenly heaved a long sigh, and said, "It's nothing, I just remembered my wife." I said: "Have you ever been married?" When I met Shao Fengguan, I had never seen him have a family member. Now that he suddenly mentioned this, I couldn't help being very surprised. Shao Fengguan smiled wryly, and said: "I got married very early. I got married as soon as I graduated from the military academy at the age of nineteen. At that time, I was appreciated by Marquis Wen, and I was very proud."

I said: "Then where is she now?" Shao Fengguan has always been single, even when he opened the Pingning Bodyguard in the imperial capital, there was no woman around him, and he didn't even go to Huajie Liuxiang often, so I can't imagine that he was married long ago. Shao Fengguan still raised his head and looked at the sky, and said in a low voice, "I'm dying of dystocia, both big and small, clean and tidy." He deliberately said it lightly, but the sadness in his words still couldn't be concealed.I murmured, "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

Shao Fengguan raised his hand, and was about to wipe the corners of his eyes, but wiped it on his lips, and said with a smile: "It's nothing, it happened many years ago. Brother Chu, you have such a little brother-in-law as the supervisor, want to play Even a woman can't escape his eyes, and I'm afraid that I won't be able to marry again in this life, if it's really impossible, it's fine to take a concubine." I said: "Forget it, do I still want to hurt others? None of the women I got in touch with will end well. Anyway, I don't know if they will die on the battlefield one day, and it will be over once and for all."

As he said this, his heart felt sad.have i loved anyoneMaybe just her.But why fall in love with her?I haven't met her many times, and it will never be possible. It's just the feeling when I saw her for the first time, and she may not know it.Although I am the commander of the local army now, the distance from her is getting farther and farther, and I can't even remember her appearance. Shao Feng said: "Brother Chu, you are too lacking in ambition. In life, there is always something to leave behind. Like Lu Bingbu, what about the extremely talented officials? In the end, the whole family ended up decapitated, so we can Just have fun for a while." During the chaos in the imperial capital, Lu Xiang's family was massacred by the rumored mob, but I never believed that such a thing would happen.Lu Xiang was born as a military general, and there are many family members in the mansion, and they all know how to fight. Some mobs can't get in at all. What's more, although his second son Lu Shenxing led the rebellion in the imperial capital, Lu Xiang himself never showed up. Even if the mob became angry, they wouldn't Killing him at his house, I think it was just a rumor made by Marquis Wen to deceive others.Lu Gongxing let me go once before he died. At the beginning, I begged Marquis Wen to let his family go, but obviously his words were light, Marquis Wen didn't listen to me, and I was on the front line again during the chaos in the imperial capital.Thinking of what Lu Gongxing said to me before he died, I felt a little ashamed.Hearing Shao Fengguan mention Lu Xiang, I said, "Yes, it's just that Lu Bingbu's family died too badly." Shao Fengguan curled his lips and said: "Under the capsized nest, the eggs are safe and sound. They died quite happily. You don't know how miserable the death of those concubine Jiang's relatives in the prison is." I whispered: "I've heard some of it too." In the past, Concubine Jiang was deeply favored by the late emperor, and her brothers and uncles rose to the top in one step and became relatives of the emperor, quite domineering and indulgent.After Concubine Jiang hanged herself, these people were naturally arrested as remnants of the party and tortured to death in prison.Marquis Wen's methods were ruthless. None of Concubine Jiang's relatives were left behind. Even some distant relatives who had no connection with Concubine Jiang were arrested. Lu Xiang was Concubine Jiang's cousin. After his death, his relatives were also punished. Bloodbath, the Lu family has been wiped out.It is precisely because the emperor had a dispute with Wenhou to pardon those relatives that he finally left. Shao Feng said: "Anyway, I have seen it through. If you can be happy one day, let's be happy one day." As he said, he suddenly lifted his spirits, and when he was out of the stall, he shouted: "I got the bait, wow, what a big one!" I turned my head to look, only to see light waves growing on the river, and the thread in Shao Fengguan's hand was already very long, so I couldn't see it from a distance.I said, "Where is it?" Shao Fengguan pursed his lips and said: "After the fish is hooked, it will sink. At this time, the energy is the strongest. After a while, you can see the fish's head." He kept the fishing line in his hand, and kept it falling tight.The fishing line was more than ten or twenty feet long. Shao Fengguan stared at the river while turning the spool in his hand. After a while, he suddenly shouted: "Look, it's there!" I followed his gaze, and saw a white splash of water splashing seven or eight feet behind the boat, dark green There is this white mark on the surface of the river, which is very conspicuous.I said, "Is that a fish?" "Of course it is." Shao Fengguan pursed his lips, and said again: "Hey, it's so powerful! Brother Chu, this fish is probably about the same size as you." The line was so tight that I could even hear the "buzzing" sound of the fishing line vibrating.I said, "Be careful, don't break it." "It can't be broken, this is the silkworm line." Shao Fengguan retracted it for a while, and let it go for a while, always keeping the fishing line tight.Suddenly Shao Fengguan showed joy on his face, and said: "It's done! It's boring!" As he spoke, he immediately shook the spool.I took a look and saw that the white water splash was much smaller, and there was a piece of blue and black fish's back in it. Looking at the back of this fish, it was really five or six feet long. It seems that it is not a lie to say that it is about the same size as me. . Shao Fengguan had just caught it for a while, when suddenly the fishing line was pulled tight again.His face changed, and he shouted: "How cunning, you actually pretended to be dead." His hand quickly released the handle of the spool, and the spool turned "buzzing", and the fishing line was released very quickly.After a while, the fishing line was no longer released, and Shao Fengguan shook the handle again. In this way, there were a total of three times, Shao Fengguan let out a long breath, and said: "Okay, this time I really have nothing to do." He shook it quickly, and after a while, the fish had been caught. He was pulled closer to the gang.He lifted it and said: "It's so heavy, at least it weighs seventy or eighty catties. Brother Chu, help me get the net bag quickly, don't let it break." The weight of the fish in the water is not too heavy, but once it is lifted out of the water, if you struggle a little longer, I am afraid that Shao Fengguan's silkworm thread will also be broken.I agreed, picked up the net bag and stretched it out into the water.The fish seemed to be exhausted, without much struggle, and I caught it in one go.I grabbed it with one hand, and when I was about to lift it up, I felt that the weight was unexpectedly large, and I couldn't lift it with one hand.I grasped the rod of the net bag with both hands, and only when I tried hard did I lift it. The fish got on deck and jumped.This fish is more than five feet long from head to tail. If you measure it from mouth to tail, it is indeed about the same size as me.Shao Fengguan unhooked the fish's mouth, looked at the fish, and said, "Wow, it's really rare, it turned out to be a Yunkun." I asked: "What kind of fish is Yunkun?" Shao Fengguan said: "Yunkun has a lot of fat in his body, fishermen can't afford candles, so they often use the fat scraped from Yunkun's body to light their lamps. This fish has too much oil, and it is too greasy to cook. But it is a natural and excellent baking material. There are not many of them now, and such a big one is even rarer." He smiled and said: "Brother Chu, your food is really good, come, let's have a drink or two." He pulled out the short knife and slashed into Yun Kun's cheek. The piece of Yun Kun jumped again in pain, but Shao Fengguan's arm strength was extraordinary, and he chopped Yun Kun to death with one blow.He put away the knife and called out, "Ah Fang, Ah Fang." Zhuge Fang heard the sound and said: "General Shao, what's the matter?" Seeing his Yunkun, he said in surprise: "Such a big fish!" "Wash and scrape it clean. Pick the middle part of the fish and chop it into squares. Make soup with the fish head for the brothers. Ask the cook to scoop out the fish brain and put it in two bowls." Zhuge Fang agreed, grabbed the fish and went in.He looked frail, unexpectedly his arms were not weak, and he lifted this big fish weighing sixty to seventy catties with one hand.Shao Fengguan put away the fishing line, smiled at me and said, "Come on, there are still a few days left on the road, and when we get to Minrong, we won't have time to drink." Zhuge Fang was really effective, we had just entered the cockpit of Shaofengguan, he had already brought a few people to arrange the charcoal stove tables, and the Yunkun had already been cut into many pieces.The flesh was so white it almost looked like fine flour.Shao Fengguan took a piece of the iron fork and said: "Brother Chu, you are welcome, the taste of Yunkun in autumn is the most delicious." Turning his head to Zhuge Fang, he said: "Ah Fang, you go out first, General Chu and I Let’s have a drink together with your brothers.” He used to guard Dongping City, so he must have eaten a lot of this kind of fish.I also forked a piece and said by the way: "This fish is good, it has no bones." Shao Fengguan said with a smile: "Such a big fish, the fishbone is almost the same as a small knife. Come on, turn it over, wait until both sides are slightly burnt and yellow, then you can eat." As soon as the fish meat was stretched onto the charcoal fire, it immediately made a "squeak" sound, and the skin of the fish was rolled up, and fat dripped from the meat.It seems that Yun Kun has a lot of fat, and after roasting for a while, the fragrance spreads out.When it was cooked, Shao Fengguan dipped the fish in the seasoning, took a bite and said: "Not bad, not bad, life is alive, what more can I ask for." I smiled: "Brother Shao, you said that I have no ambition, and I think you have no ambition either. Eating a piece of fish is all you need." Shao Fengguan's mouth was full of fish meat, he was chewing it, and after he swallowed it, he said, "Naturally. In the past, when the fishermen in Dongping City caught Yunkun, they would eat them all by themselves, and would not sell them unless they were really poor. .” He picked up the cup and took a big sip, saying, “Good wine!” My grilled fish was cooked too.Put the fish meat to your mouth, and before you bite it, you will smell a strange fragrance, which will whet your appetite.As soon as I bit into it, I felt that the skin of the fish was roasted crispy, but the meat was delicate and sweet, which was indescribably delicious. I couldn't help but praise: "It's really delicious, and it's different from Jiangzhu." Shao Fengguan filled the cup again and said, "Come on, let's have a drink." I picked up the cup and felt that the wine tasted very similar to the spring pear wine that the emperor gave me. I couldn't help hesitating, and Shao Feng said: "Why? Didn't you drink this wine that day?" I almost poured all the wine, looked at him suspiciously, and said, "How do you know?" Shao Feng gave an unpredictable smile and looked around.We drank and grilled fish in the cabin, and the left and right were screened back, and the door was tightly closed.He lowered his voice very low and said, "Brother Chu, I just arrived earlier than you that day." I stared at him blankly, and said: "You...you..." I never thought that Shao Fengguan would be secretly summoned by the emperor.Shao Fengguan still said in a low voice: "You don't speak dark words in front of Ming people. Lord Wenhou is kind to me, but he is too domineering. Since he is not benevolent, don't blame me for being unrighteous. Brother Chu, we must work together even more in the future .” His words were very blatant, and what he meant was to deliberately defeat Wenhou.Although I promised the emperor to stand by his side, I also secretly swore that as long as Marquis Wen does not have the heart to be disobedient, I will also be loyal to him.I said coldly: "General Shao, Lord Wenhou has treated me as much as a mountain. I pretend I didn't hear this, but don't tell me about it in the future." Shao Fengguan and I are quite congenial friends. I can't tell Marquis Wen, but I don't want to be like him, openly expressing that I want to confront Marquis Wen.Shao Fengguan was stunned, and said: "Yes, yes." He looked at me with some hesitation, as if he felt that he had made a mistake.I hesitated for a moment, feeling that the fish in my mouth was not relished, so I put down my fork and said, "Aren't you afraid that I will report your thoughts to Lord Wenhou?" Shao Fengguan smiled suddenly, and said: "Brother Chu, your mother-in-law and mother are sometimes stingy, but there is one thing that I can't compare to. You talk like a word, and you are definitely not a double-faced villain. It's just that I have something to say. I have to say that you wholeheartedly hope that the world will be peaceful and there will be no more wars, but if Marquis Wen is in power for a day, do you think it is possible?" I am speechless.Marquis Wen is very successful and suspicious by nature. Although his ability is indeed far superior to his peers, he blindly rules people with an iron fist.Now we are closely related to the Republican Army, and on the surface they cooperate seamlessly, but in fact they are still intrigues. This time, at the request of the Republican Army, he secretly ordered us not to charge forward and not let the Republican Army take the lead.As long as Marquis Wen was alive, he could restrain everyone with his ability, but the tighter the pressure, the greater the rebound. Now he is more determined to go his own way. Li Yaotian's expedition to Wa Island was his decision-making error.Now that he is an extremely human minister, and he issued an edict in the name of the emperor, no one in the world would dare not to obey.But once he really replaces the emperor, not to mention others, the two grand dukes Qingyue and Hongyue will definitely rise up and rebel immediately, and the world will fall into endless wars again.Even Tao Shouzhuo, there will probably be some changes at that time. And that day seems to be getting closer.The emperor's ability is far less than that of Wenhou, but it is also because he is not capable enough that he can let go of his subordinates, and his temperament is more generous than Wenhou.As a monarch, the emperor is not a wise monarch, but he is much better than a self-righteous and self-righteous monarch.It's just that I promised to be loyal to the emperor, is it really just to repay the princess?I know it's not entirely true, but even Shao Fengguan couldn't say this to him.I didn't want to talk about it anymore, so I said in a low voice, "Walls have ears, don't talk about that." Just after finishing speaking, Zhuge Fang's voice sounded outside the door: "General Shao, here comes the fish brain." Shao Fengguan's face turned pale suddenly, and he said, "Come in." He said loudly, "Brother Chu, Yunkun's brain, also known as Nephrite Paste, is known as the top grade of the eight treasures of aquatic products, and it is rare to taste. Come, try." Although Yun Kun was big, the fish brain was only two small bowls.Although the weather has turned cooler, it is still very hot, and we were stuffed in the room grilling fish, and we were already sweating profusely, but the two of us knew it and didn't realize it.The fish brain is really delicious, but I can't taste it in my mouth. The top-grade aquatic products are almost like tofu.After eating, Shao Fengguan pushed the bowl away and said, "Brother Chu, how do you think the general will be named?" I said: "The inscription on the Tingtian said, 'In the past, the words are simple and thoughtful, and when raising troops, the orders are the same. The battle must be won, the attack must be conquered, and the army will go where it is, and there will be no offense in autumn'. So, I think That’s why he’s called a famous general.” Shao Feng nodded his head, and said: "Exactly. As a general, one should not lose the heart of benevolence and righteousness. A hundred battles are victorious. It is not the best military strategist. A soldier who surrenders without fighting is a great man. But surrender without fighting It’s not easy to be a soldier of man, man’s ambition has no bottom, if there is no powerful backing, anyone wants to take advantage of the chaos, and the war will never end.” I know what Shao Fengguan means.Wen Hou is a dogmatic person, what he needs is the absolute obedience of his subordinates.Under such people, it is possible to be highly united, but once there is a change, it will immediately fall apart.But under the emperor's command, the various ministries restrict each other, and no one dominates, so that real long-term peace and stability can be achieved.Only a good-looking general can lead without a general. Similarly, no matter how wise a monarch is, he is not as good as a mediocre monarch who can freely appoint virtuous ministers.I understand this truth, but now Marquis Wen is absolutely unwilling to delegate power.I sighed, and said, "For the future, let the people in the future have a headache. Right now, our task is to quell the Snake-Man Rebellion. By the way, what do you think of the prospects for attacking Nan'an this time?" Shao Fengguan smiled and said, "There are only 20,000 Nan'an Snake People, so it's not a problem to take them down." I frowned, and said: "I think it's the same. Logically, Wuyang City is now recruiting exiles, and its military strength has been greatly expanded. Logically, it is completely capable of taking Nan'an City by itself. Why are you willing to give Nan'an City to us? I have been a little puzzled .” Shao Fengguan said: "They are quite tight in the west. I heard that the fighting is very tight, and the main force has been transferred there." I said: "Maybe that's the case, but why is He Congjing so magnanimous? Minrong was originally their sphere of influence, and it is also very close to Wuyang City. How can we allow others to sleep soundly beside the couch? He will allow us to occupy Nan'an City, I really can't think of it." Shao Fengguan was stunned, and murmured: "Yeah, what are their intentions?" He reached out and tapped his forehead, and said: "Perhaps, you are thinking too complicatedly, thinking too much about He Congjing's strength. Strong, I think the biggest possibility is that they can't take Nan'an City alone. Now the Empire and the Republican Army are still allied, and it would be better for the Snake People to take it." That's all I can think of.I didn't say anything more, I just still felt something was wrong.Marquis Wen was not suspicious of He Congjing's proposal to ask for reinforcements, perhaps he had the same idea as Shao Fengguan.Could it be that I am worrying too much? Shao Fengguan smiled dryly and said: "Don't think too much, Brother Chu, Mr. Wenhou turned his hands into clouds and turned his hands into rain. It is beyond our guess. Our task is to do as he said and take Nan'an The city is our credit. Come, eat two more yuan, and when the war comes together, we won't have the time to eat fish." Shao Fengguan's words are right.After we arrived at Dongping City, the Land Army Corps and the Water Army Road parted ways.The Wind Corps followed the Water Corps and headed east to the sea. Unlike the previous ground corps, Bi Wei's 1,000 fire corps were incorporated into the ground corps and set off.The two Shenlong Cannons are very heavy, and it is really not easy to transport them from the imperial capital to Nan'an City. After a day's rest in Dongping City, they replenished their supplies and headed south.In Dongping City, the officials of the household department who dispatched our food and grass looked very bad. The household department was in charge of finances. Capable officials, although the salary of the officials of the household department remains the same, there are far more things to do than before.I heard that this matter was handled by Nangong Wenli with full authority. After Xing Li, the Minister of the Household Department, was beheaded, Pu Zhi was changed to be the Minister of the Household Department.It's just that Pu Zhi is old, and Pu Anli was named Marquis of Wuyang City as a hostage. He has also been emptied by Marquis Wen, and only has a false title. .When I was in the imperial capital, Nangong Wenli also came to visit me a few times. When he had any difficult things, he would solve them as soon as he asked the princess for instructions. Now he still has this habit.In fact, when it comes to political affairs, I can't get in the way at all. Nangong Wenli is just abiding by the precept of the county chief to be loyal to me.He is very capable, and now he is highly valued by Marquis Wen. He has been promoted from Doctor Yushi to Minister of the Household Department. Although the official promotion is not fast, his real power has been greatly enhanced. Before dawn the next day, Chen Zhong and Qian Wenyi were guarding Dongping, and the rest of the people followed me to leave Dongping City and march southward.The more than 20,000 men from the three battalions of Ren, Lian, and Yong set off almost silently. I rode in the middle of the team, and I was quite proud of seeing the neat appearance of the army.Marquis Wen has always wanted to train an invincible army, and he is very strict about military discipline. Among the four-phase legions, the one with the largest number of troops is the first to achieve Marquis Wen's wish. Even if this team cannot be said to be invincible, it should be able to run across the world and be unstoppable.Seeing rows of soldiers leaving the city silently, uniformly and swiftly, I also felt a surge of pride in my chest. The name of a famous general is not far away from me.Nan'an City is located between Dongping City and Wuyang City. It is built by the sea. Like Wuyang City, it is a city by the sea.It is across the sea from Haijing Province of Haijing Uncle Zhuozhi.Haijing Province is a big island, desolate and sparsely populated, with only 600,000 people living on the island. After the great emperor won the kingdom, the survivors of King Jialuo still ruled here for more than ten years, until Sun Ying, one of the twelve generals, crossed Haidong Levy, just surrender.After Sun Ying surrendered to Haijing, he was granted the title of Bo Haijing and guarded it for generations. Now Sun Zhuozhi is also the eleventh generation descendant of Sun Ying.Because Haijing Province has a large area and sparse population, its status has been comparable to that of the remote Langyue Province in the west for more than two hundred years. In addition, the Sun Clan Lords of all generations are relatively generous. Haijing Province has not suffered from military disasters for two hundred years. Hanging alone overseas, the folk customs are simple and weak. It is said that Sun Zhuozhi's 20,000 soldiers are worse than the Forbidden Army. Back then, when the pirates of Captain Wufeng roamed the sea, Sun Zhuozhi was far stronger than him, but there was nothing he could do about him.Although Nan'an City was listed as one of the twelve famous cities, because it was sandwiched between Wuyang City and Dongping City, and Haijing Province was used as a barrier on the periphery, it didn't even have soldiers. As a result, Nan'an City had almost no soldiers. Falls without resistance. Up to now, the snake people have been operating in Nan'an for several years. I don't know what the city has been transformed into by them.When the ground army stopped to sharpen, I sat alone in the tent, thinking about it while reading the "Journey of the Emperor's Zhou".At this moment, Feng Qi's voice sounded outside the tent: "General Chu, we have caught some spies." I was shocked, the snake man actually sent spies here?I lifted up the curtain, walked outside, and asked, "How many are there? Did anyone escape?" As soon as I walked outside, I saw that Feng Qi and the others were not escorting snake men, but a few ragged clothes man.These people were thin and skinny, with disheveled faces and dirty bodies.I was surprised: "Are the spies referring to them?" Feng Qi said: "Yes, General, they actually dared to steal our army's food. General Cao caught about a dozen of them. We think there must be others. After checking, we found two of them here." They must be refugees who wandered around after being driven out of Nan'an City by the snake people.I felt sour in my heart, and said, "Let them go quickly." Feng Qi said: "General Chu, they are..." "Even if they were driven here by the snake people, there is no other choice but to ask someone to cook some porridge for them." I looked around and asked again, "Where are those people captured by General Cao?" Feng Qi hesitated, and said: "Probably they were beheaded by General Cao, I heard him swearing just now." I hurried out and said, "Feng Qi, ask the kitchen to cook more porridge." I knew that Cao Wendao was very impatient and might really kill someone, so I hurried to his camp.Cao Wendao's camp was right next to me, and the tents of the ground army formed a big circle, connected end to end. I set up a small tent between Yang Yi and Cao Wendao's camps, with the little prince in the center. As soon as I got outside Cao Wendao's tent, I heard him shout loudly: "My surname is Yang, although you are the chief general of the Wude Camp, but my surname Cao is not your turn to teach me a lesson!" Listening to the voice, I was very angry, probably Had a quarrel with Yang Yi.When Yang Yi left, partly because he felt that he was a distant relative of Xing Tiefeng and would not be tolerated by Marquis Wen after all, and partly because he didn't get along well with Cao Wendao, thinking that Cao Wendao was very close to me, so he must not be trusted by me.It’s just that Taoist Cao Wen is a bit rough, but he knows the general situation and knows that he is not as talented as Yang Yi. Therefore, after Yang Yi became the leader of the Renziying, he did not object, but the two still had a grudge, and now the anger finally vented. Out.I was afraid that they would quarrel, so I walked two steps quickly, and was about to speak, but Yang Yi said in a harmonious voice: "General Cao, you are brave and invincible, I admire you so much, but these people are clearly refugees, so let them go For yes." It turned out that they also had a dispute over the disposal of refugees.I walked outside Cao Wendao's tent, two guards saw me, stood at attention, and said, "General Chu is here!" As soon as they finished speaking, Cao Wendao jumped out of the tent and said, "Guanzhi, are you still here at this late hour?" I said, "I can hear your voice from afar, what happened?" Cao Wendao said: "You came at the right time to control you. Just now I caught some spies. General Yang said they were refugees and asked me not to kill them." Yang Yi himself has been a death row prisoner, so he can better understand the difficulties of these refugees.I sighed silently, and whispered: "Brother Cao, there is something I want to ask you, please promise me." Cao Wendao was about to raise the curtain, but when he heard me speak so solemnly, he was stunned and said, "Guanzhi, if you have any orders, just say it." "Even if those people are really spies, don't hurt them, let them go." Cao Wendao felt a little embarrassed, scratched his head, and said: "Controller, don't say that. I also know that they came to grab the food in the army because they were hungry. If the snake people really want them to inquire about the news, they will not let them." They came to grab food." I feel a little bitter in my heart.Indeed, if someone had sold themselves to join the Snake People, they would not seek news by robbing food.I said: "Where are they? Take me to see." "I locked them in an empty car." Cao Wendao paused, and then said: "If you want to watch them, you have to be careful. These guys are ruthless. A few brothers were broken in order to stop them." In the end, you have to let them go, or at least let the injured brothers vent their anger." Cao Wendao couldn't help being a bit petty, I was wondering whether I should promise him, Yang Yi suddenly came out from the tent, saluted me, and said: "General Chu." He probably heard my voice, but saw me for a long time If I don't go in, I'm a little paranoid.I stepped forward, saluted him, and said, "Brother Yang, thank you for saving these refugees. General Cao has figured it out, let them go." Yang Yi was probably worried that I would go along with Cao Wendao and kill those people too, so he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you General Chu, then I'll let them go." Cao Wendao winked anxiously, but he didn't Dare to argue with him like just now.I said: "Let's go together, I let the kitchen cook a pot of porridge, let them finish drinking before leaving." Cao Wendaoguan's empty car was in the camp.It was a large cart loaded with beans. Because the war horses were consumed along the road, this cart was empty. It was ready to be replenished when it arrived at the city ahead. Now it was used to lock people up. There were some soldiers with swords and guns standing around it. .Seeing me, Yang Yi, and Cao Wendao approaching, those soldiers stood at attention.Cao Wendao grimaced, and said: "Open the car door, if those people dare to resist, they will be shot to death!" He was still worried about the few refugees who robbed the food, but after they were released, those people were stumbling around, almost unable to stand up straight.Although this car is big, there are more than ten people crammed into it. If it is closed for a while, some of them may be closed to death.It's just that these days, human life is the least valuable thing, and killing a few people is not a problem at all.I couldn't help being a little annoyed, and said in a low voice, "General Cao!" Cao Wendao came over in some confusion, and said, "Tong Zhi, I know I'm too cruel, but they also hurt my brother..." Indeed, several soldiers had gauze wrapped around their heads, and blood was still oozing from them.Although they were not seriously injured, these people must have been desperate when they robbed the food.Seeing this scene, my anger towards Cao Wendao faded a bit, and I sighed, and said, "Brother Cao, ask the kitchen to bring the cooked porridge here. There are two more people, bring them here too." As soon as I said it, a prisoner shouted: "Soldiers, kill them if you want, I will be a full-fledged ghost anyway!" This man was sallow and emaciated, and he hadn't eaten for a few days, but his tone was still very stubborn.Cao Wendao raised his brows when he heard his rude words, I knew he was about to start scolding, so he rushed forward and said, "Brother, we don't have enough food, so we can't give you more, and I'm afraid we can't let you eat too much before you leave." full." I said the word "before leaving" a little more emphatically, this man was also taken aback, and murmured: "Let us go?" I nodded and said, "Yes. You can leave after eating." At this time, several gang leaders came over with a large bucket, and one of them carried a large basket with several pairs of bowls and chopsticks in it.There were also some vegetable leaves and dried meat in the porridge, although it was not cooked very thickly, it was quite fragrant, and it was actually Lian Baice who led them here.Although no one from his place came to grab the food, he also heard about it.They put the porridge bucket on the ground, Lian Baice said: "General Chu, the porridge is ready." I said, "Come on, let's have a bowl." I reached out and picked up a bowl, filled it up, and handed it to the captured prisoner.The man took the porridge, looked at the porridge noodles, then at me, and said: "General... General..." I said: "Don't talk about it. It is the responsibility of soldiers to protect the environment and the people. Swords and guns are definitely not used against our own people." They came to rob the army of food, so they took the risk because they couldn't survive.It's just that I really let them go and fed them, probably he couldn't think of it.The man was holding the porridge bowl, staring blankly, then suddenly raised his neck and drank the whole bowl of boiling hot porridge.The porridge had just been boiled, and it was still a little hot in my hands, but he drank it all at once without pausing. I watched him drink porridge, and I couldn't help but feel sad for a while.This person also seemed to be a proud and arrogant person, but he was so hungry that he couldn't care about anything else.He finished his porridge, wiped it off, and licked off a little porridge soup on his fingers.At this moment, several other captives also bravely came over, and I handed them the porridge and said, "Drink it slowly, everyone has it." After all, they were all desperate like starved ghosts reincarnated. Drinking, almost swallowed even the bowl. A bucket of porridge was quickly finished.I looked at the bottom of the bucket, and there was still some leftovers, and I said, "Is there any more? There is still a mouthful." Just as I was talking, the prisoners suddenly knelt down, and the man who was aggressive just now burst into tears, and said : "General, thank you for your life." As he said, he couldn't stop kowtowing.I was startled, put down the porridge spoon in my hand, and said, "Get up, get up quickly, don't do this." The man raised his head and said, "General, may I ask your name?" I smiled and said, "My name is Chu Xiuhong." He was taken aback, and shouted: "What? You are General Chu Xiuhong of the Imperial Army? Really?" His eyes were full of surprise, and he probably still didn't believe what I was telling the truth.I said: "Chu Xiuhong is not a great person, I won't pretend to be." This person called me the "Imperial Army", probably because he believes in republican thinking.共和军号称以人为尚，以民为本，但难民仍是奔涌如潮，也不见他们有什么行之有效的举措——虽然现在也实在没什么好办法解决这个问题。 打发走这些俘虏，我回到自己的营帐，坐在外面的一块石头上，心里突然又有一阵难受。战争，不管是什么目的，给黎民百姓带来的只有痛苦，而所谓的名将，才能在战争中得到好处吧。以前我还一直想做一个武侯这样的名将，但现在离这个目标越来越近，却也越来越觉得不值得。 失去的，太多了。也许有一天，我会后悔自己走上这条路吧。让天下人安居乐业，这谈何容易。 "General Chu." 杨易的声音突然从身后响起。我转过头，笑了笑道：“杨兄，你还不去歇息么？” 杨易走到我身边，也坐了下来，道：“楚将军，多谢你。” 我奇道：“谢什么？” “你没有听曹将军说的，还是将他们都放走了，我代他们谢谢你。” 我苦笑了一下，道：“这算什么，不是因为你，我本就不想杀他们。” 杨易沉吟了一下，道：“只是，万一他们其实是奸细呢？至少我军的虚实被他们看去了。” 我道：“他们看到的，也无非只是个大概而已，就算是奸细，也让他们去吧，对我军并没什么大碍。他们都是些人，我不信他们会死心塌地为蛇人卖命。” 杨易想了想，忽然压低声音道：“楚将军，此时并无外人，我有句话想跟你说一下。你觉得，此番与共和军联手，他们打的到底是什么主意？凭什么平白无故地将这块肥肉送到我们嘴边？” 此事我和邵风观在船上时就讨论过，但也看不清共和军真正的用意，只能猜测他们要收复南安城是力有未逮。我道：“大概，单凭他们的力量，尚无法收复南安城吧。” “只是，我觉得文侯大人也在防着共和军啊。” 我抬起头，道：“是什么？何以见得？”文侯要我们保存力量，不要冲锋在前的密令只是下给我和邓沧澜、邵风观三人的，他不应该知道。难道是邵风观说出去了？但我知道他和邓沧澜都是十分稳重的人，绝不会这么做，我也没和别人说起过，那就是杨易自己猜出来的。 杨易道：“以前风军团经常和我们联合行动，此番却跟随邓将军出发，而我们的铁甲车也只带了两辆，完全是不想被共和军偷学去。” 的确，文侯这么分派，就是这个用意吧。铁甲车威力很大，我们现在能与蛇人在野战时抗衡，靠的完全是铁甲车的力量。共和军的装备现在远不及我们，如果他们也能有铁甲车、神龙炮和飞行机，蛇人全线溃败的时间又将提前了，只是文侯是绝对不会这么做的。我讪笑了笑，道：“你也该知道的，文侯大人自是这个用意。” 杨易道：“我有些担心的事，如果共和军到时真的来窥探我军这些武器的秘密，只怕会起摩擦。楚将军，你想好应付之策了么？” 我淡淡笑了笑。在出发前，文侯便交待过这事，要我们尽量保守秘密。铁甲车的外表任谁见了就知道该如何仿制，但内部的机括却不是旁人能想得到的，因此文侯要我们绝对不能让共和军靠近铁甲车。至于飞行机，就算他们拿到了样机，也未必能仿制得出来，神龙炮也一样，火药的配方五羊城肯定也有人知道，但神龙炮的制法就不是凭看一眼就能偷学得到的。我道：“你也不要过虑，现在五羊城毕竟是我们的盟友，都有共同的敌人。” “只是监军他……” 小王子是监军，名义上，他可以节制全军。好在他对我言听计从，因此地军团的监军和主将大概是各个军团中关系最为融洽的了。我道：“别担心了，再过几天就要到南安城，让兄弟们打起精神来。这一场，定然又会是恶战。” 八月三十日，地军团终于抵达南安城下。共和军已经在那里扎下了营，我们抵达的时候，天色已擦黑，让人进去报信，过不了多久，便听得一阵马蹄声由远而近，隔了五六丈，那人已经在大声道：“原来是楚将军。久违芝宇，别来无恙否？” 这人的声音很是响亮，我一时也听不出是谁，天又黑了，五六丈的距离已看不清人的面目。我带着五德营统领上前道：“在下楚休红，请问是哪位将军？” 此时那人已离得近了，已能看清来人的样貌。来的是四五个人，当先一个也只有三十多岁，略略有些胡子，一张脸却是白皙得异样。他跳下马来，摘下头盔笑了笑道：“楚将军真是贵人多忘事。” 他一摘头盔，一头金黄色的头发一下跳入我的眼帘。我呆了呆，叫道：“丁将军！” 他是丁亨利！这个生具异样的共和军将领是七天将之首，也是共和军的第一大将。我只道他会在前线与蛇人交战，没想到居然是在南安城下。看来，何从景对此战极为重视。我心中不禁有些忐忑不安，只怕共和军的目的不仅仅是联手攻下南安城那样单纯。 丁亨利走上前来，一把挽住我的手，笑道：“楚将军，几年不见，你还是老样子。” 我也笑了笑，道：“丁将军，你可变了许多。” 丁亨利捋了一下颌下的短须，道：“你是说这把胡子吧，哈哈，我发誓，蛇人不灭，就不再剃须了。” 若是十多年后才能消灭蛇人，他的胡子想必该垂在肚子上了吧。我道：“丁将军真是良将。对了，这三位是我军的三位统领，这位是杨易将军，这位是廉百策将军，这位是曹闻道将军。” 上次我去五羊城，是钱文义跟随，杨易他们三人和丁亨利都是初识。丁亨利也招招手，把他身后那几人叫过来。我本以为那是他的随从，原来却是魏仁图和方若水两人。这两人也名列七天将，当初在五羊城曾见过一面。何从景手下这七个最重要的年轻将领，竟然到齐了近一半，看来他的确将这一战看得极重。 丁亨利看了看我身后，道：“楚将军，你带了多少人？似乎不止一万啊。” 曹闻道在一边道：“当然不止，三个营，两万还挂零呢。” 他说得轻描淡写，丁亨利没什么异样，我见那方若水脸上却是一抽，似乎露出一丝惧意。我心中一动，疑云大起。共和军要求援军，照理来的越多越好，这方若水为什么反而生惧？我正想着，曹闻道意犹未尽，又道：“还有七千水军从海上而来，想必这几天就要到了。” 丁亨利道：“那全军有三万人了？呵呵，文侯大人的赤忱，真令人感动。” 他说得全无异样，那方若水此时也恢复了平静，但方才他脸色的变化却已落入我眼中。我道：“怎么？是不是兵力还不够？” 丁亨利道：“不是，何城主向文侯大人请的援兵只是一万，我怕粮草接济不上。” 原来如此，方若水担心的是我们把他们的粮草吃光吧。我笑了笑，道：“我军自备粮草丰足，贵军也只消负担万人粮草便够了。丁将军在此等候了几日了？” 事先约定的就是九月一日前聚齐，地军团训练有素，行军速度甚快，提前一日赶到了。丁亨利爽朗地一笑，道：“那就好，那就好，我们来了也不过两天而已。楚将军，请你们几位来我营中，我可备好了一席酒为诸位接风。” 丁亨利的酒席也不算丰盛，只是他十分健谈，酒席上谈笑风生，有时谈到军机也极有见地。杨易他们与他初步见面，开始对他那副与常人迥异的相貌还有些陌生，渐渐也熟络了。只是在酒席上，我时时偷眼看一下方若水。他现在已看不出异样了，但方才那一闪而过的惧意仍然时时闪过我的脑海。 真的是因为粮草的事么？兵马未动，粮草先行，共和军向帝国请援，就算真的请援只是一万，也不应该只多备一万的粮草。何况闽榕省此时大半已落在共和军掌握中了，闽榕省也是鱼米之乡，粮食出产极多，因为气候适宜，据说稻米有地方能一年三熟，方若水身为七天将之一，似乎不该因为这样的小事而惊慌。 难道，共和军别有用心？我看着正在侃侃而谈的丁亨利，只是拿不定主意。何从景做事极为狠辣，当初他们曾有心将我留在五羊城，甚至有我一旦不从就将我斩杀之意，只是丁亨利最后还是放我走了。这一次，难道他们打的又是另外的主意？只是这主意又会是什么？ 酒席结束，天也晚了。酒席上我不敢多喝，但也被灌了几杯，头有些晕。回到帐中，我让人打盆冷水来洗洗脸。 正在搓着毛巾，帐外有人道：“楚将军，你还没睡吧？”听声音正是杨易。我道：“杨兄，进来吧。这会了还过来，有什么事么？” 杨易走了进来，他面色凝重，还没开口，帐外却又有人道：“楚将军，你歇息了么？”却是廉百策的声音。我道：“进来吧，我还没睡。”廉百策掀帘进来，见杨易也在，怔了怔道：“杨将军，你也在啊。” 我不知他们不约而同地过来有什么事，正想问，帐帘一下又被掀开了，曹闻道急匆匆进来，道：“廉百策，你……杨将军，你也在？” 我把毛巾扔回盆里，道：“坐吧。”他们三个统领同时过来，我生怕出了什么事。曹闻道不等坐下，便道：“统制，我觉得共和军那黄毛小子不太可信！” 他说得很直。我心头一动，杨易和廉百策却是一怔。杨易插话道：“曹将军，你是何以见得？” 曹闻道坐了下来，道：“楚将军，我说我们有两万多人时，那黄毛背后的那人脸色忽然一变。虽然很快，但这也太可疑了。” 杨易和廉百策不禁有些动容。曹闻道居于五德营之末，他们可能一直把他当成勇而无谋之人，没想到他也注意到方若水表情的细微变化了，但我知道曹闻道除了有些急躁，其实心思也十分缜密。我也坐了下来，道：“杨将军，廉将军，我想你们也察觉到了吧？” 杨易和廉百策看了看，都点了点头。杨易道：“那位丁将军谈吐得体，滴水不漏，但太滴水不漏了，他一直在回避我军来得太多这事，酒席上我旁敲侧击了几次，都被他带到别处去了。” 我不禁有些惭愧。酒席上我把注意力都放在方若水身上了，一直没注意杨易说了什么，原来他也早有怀疑。我道：“我也觉得有些奇怪。照理，如果共和军兵力不足，要求援军的话，那援军来得越多越好。三万人，虽然比他们预期的多，也不至于让他们的粮草造成困难。” 廉百策插嘴道：“楚将军说得极是，末将觉得，他们似乎在瞒着我们什么。方才我约略数了数，共和军的兵力也在三万以上，不过有些奇怪，我似乎……” 他说到这儿欲言又止。我诧道：“奇怪什么？” 廉百策咽了口唾沫，低声道：“方才我向那丁亨利将军敬酒时，特意嗅了嗅他身上的味道，他身上，竟然隐约有股硝黄之味。”