Chapter 11 Chapter 26 The National Treasure

As soon as I got to the gate of Marquis Wen's mansion, I jumped off my horse, and the gatekeeper came over and asked, "Who is it?" I stepped forward and said, "Little man Chu Xiuhong, I have something important to meet with Lord Wenhou." The gatekeeper probably forgot about me as a former general, and said: "You wait at the gate for orders." He was a bit arrogant, he probably had seen many people, even those serving military officers had to be respectful when they came to see Marquis Wen, naturally I was not in his eyes as a commoner.I had no choice but to fidget and wait there.After a while, the man came over and said, "My lord, please come in." He was also a little surprised at what he said, probably said "please" to Marquis Wen, and was a little puzzled.

I ignored him and rushed in hastily.When I arrived at the living room where the words "Writing to Convey the Way" were hung, I knelt down at the door and said loudly, "Little man Chu Xiuhong, please see Lord Wenhou." Marquis Wen was looking at a piece of parchment, looking preoccupied. He heard my voice, put the parchment away, and said, "Mr. Chu, come in." I went inside and made another big salute: "My lord, I thank you for your kindness in saving me, my lord." Marquis Wen smiled and said, "Speak up quickly if you have something to say, you won't be making a special trip to thank me."

His words were much calmer, I collected myself, and said: "The villain just realized that Dongping City has a weakness, and we should strictly guard against snakes and men from water attacks." As soon as I said that, Marquis Wen changed color and said, "You think so too?" I couldn't help but asked: "Is there anyone else who thinks the same way?" At first I thought I was the only one who thought of it, and I was quite proud, but when I heard Marquis Wen say that others thought of it too, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.Wen Hou said: "It's nothing, tell me, why should you be on guard?"

"When the villain went to Dongping City, he saw the snake man building an embankment on the river, but the embankment was not closed. This spring, Dongping City didn't have much rain, but the river was rising, so the villain thought that the snake man built the embankment. It’s actually for water storage.” Marquis Wen slapped his right palm with his left hand, and said, "Sure enough." He smiled, handed me the parchment in his hand, and said, "Take a look." Surprised, I took the parchment, on which was written: "The general thought that Dongping City was indestructible, and Dongyang City was there to watch and help each other. It is not difficult to hold on. The only thing to worry about is water attack. I should ask Shaozi to take precautions." The signature is Deng Canglan.

Marquis Wen said: "Cang Lan is now on Juluo Island. He is well versed in water warfare. The letter said so, and Shao Fengguan also said that to prevent snakes and men from attacking water, the civilians in the city must be gradually transferred. I am hesitating. You said the same. That just made my mind up." To transfer civilians?Isn't that a proposal to abandon the city?I couldn't help saying: "How can I abandon the city?" Marquis Wen smiled wryly and said, "How many ways can the enemy flood the city with water?" Water attacking the city, the only way to break it is to dig another drainage ditch, or to reinforce the city and stick to it until reinforcements arrive to disperse the enemy.But the snake people are so strong, although Dongping City can defend, it is absolutely impossible to dig a river branch outside the city under the eyes of the snake people, and it is even more impossible to send reinforcements to disperse the snake people.It can be said that if the Snakemen successfully attack Dongping City by water, it will be an unsolvable deadlock, and there is no other way but to abandon the city.However, Shao Fengguan proposed to transfer the civilians. Once the snake people do not attack, they will definitely be reviled by everyone. It is not an easy decision.I said with some anxiety: "Then, what does your lord mean..."

Wen Hou said: "The people can retreat, but the army cannot." He spoke so resolutely that I couldn't help shaking.What Wenhou meant was that he would rather annihilate the entire army than abandon Dongping City.I don't know what Wenhou's plan is. I wanted to ask but didn't dare to ask more. Wenhou also knew that he had made a mistake. He smiled and said, "This matter is confidential. Has Mr. Chu told anyone?" I said, "No one said anything." Marquis Wen thought for a while and said, "That's good. Dongping City can be guarded for three months, so as long as Beining City is guarded for another three months, time is enough."

He patted me on the shoulder, smiled and said: "General Chu, the saber is in its sheath, so it won't hurt its sharpness. But if you want to hit someone, you must first retreat your fist. You should understand this principle." He even called me "General" again, does that mean he still wants to use me?I was excited for a while, and said: "Chu Xiuhong is willing to listen to the lord's censure, and will die." Wen Hou said: "I have two generals under my command, water and fire. General Chu, you have two woods in your surname. Water produces wood, and wood produces fire. It is the third general created by nature. Haha, you have to work hard."

He said it easily, but it was nothing more than a dull thunder.Marquis Wen's subordinates are obviously the three generals of water, fire and wind, why did he say that there are only two?Could it be... I dare not think about it any further.In fact, you don't need to think about it. It is inevitable that Dongping City will be destroyed, but it is necessary to preserve strength and not make people feel that they are afraid of fighting and fleeing. The best way is to sacrifice one person.When Shao Fengguan was sent to Dongping City, he already had the intention of sacrificing himself.If the second prince was in the battle, Shao Fengguan would definitely be the one to take the blame.

This time Marquis Wen can sacrifice Shao Fengguan, if it is useful in the future, wouldn't he sacrifice me? When I left Wenhou's Mansion, I was already in a state of anxiety.Marquis Wen agreed to let the civilians be transferred, which is already good.If I were in his position, I'm afraid I would not agree to let Dongping's heavy troops retreat without a fight.However, Zhen Yining is also in Dongping City now, and Marquis Wen refuses to let the troops withdraw. Could it be that he wants Zhen Yining to die in the city too? I sigh.Hearing what Marquis Wen said, I have already planned a strategy, and I have a plan in my chest, so what should I worry about.When I got back to my residence, I lit a candle and made up for the "Detailed Explanation of the Thunderbolt Crossbow".After reading the first chapter carefully, I was very tired, and I sat on the bed for a while before falling asleep.For some reason, when meditating in the sitting cage, there is a feeling of true energy flowing in the body, but now I can hardly feel it.Sometimes I really suspect that the mind-stimulating technique that I suddenly used that night was just a dream.But Xue Wenyi also clearly said that Chen Zhong had discussed with him, and he also gave Chen Zhong a mouthpiece to explain that it was not a bad thing. If that Xiaofang hadn't caught my mind-boosting technique, Wei Zongzheng would not have given up so easily. Let me out, I'm afraid there will be side effects.

I can't figure it out after much deliberation.For two days in a row, I was studying that "Thunderbolt Crossbow Detailed Explanation", and I sat down when I was tired.After class on the third day, just after returning to the residence, the military school handyman delivered a small bag wrapped in coarse cloth.I saw that the writing on it was Xue Wenyi's handwriting, so I knew it must be the hand crossbow I asked him to make, so I immediately took it apart.Inside was a crossbow and a wooden box.The cylindrical crossbow body is carved from iron and wood, but the crossbow is made of steel.I picked it up and took a look. This hand crossbow is extremely delicate, every part has been quenched, and it weighs heavily on the hand.There are still words written in this coarse cloth bag, which is a letter from Xue Wenyi. He told me that the hand crossbow I want is more powerful, with a range of up to forty steps. It can shoot through iron armor within twenty steps. It is made of wood. The strength is not enough, so he asked Jinfu to make all the important parts with fine steel.

I weighed it. Although the hand crossbow is a little heavier, I can still use it with one hand.Xue Wenyi only gave me six arrows.Because the hand crossbow is much smaller than ordinary bows, the arrows are also shorter, and the craftsmanship is very delicate, so the arrows also need to be specially made, all of which are made of steel, and even the tail feathers are made of steel sheets. If the arrows are shot, the hand crossbow will be gone. usefulness.Things in the world, as Xue Wenyi said, nine out of ten are unsatisfactory. When I got this crossbow, I couldn't help but want to try it.There are three sockets on the back of the crossbow, just enough to insert arrows into. I loaded the arrow and aimed it at a tree more than ten steps away. I pulled the trigger, and there was a "pop", and an arrow shot out. Shoot on a tree.It was inserted so deep that only the arrow feathers were exposed.I was taken aback, and hurried over to have a look. The arrow had penetrated too deep, and I tried my best to pull it out. The power of this crossbow is astonishing.Xue Wenyi's design is also very exquisite. Usually, because the string is not tightened, it will not be fired by mistake when it is inserted by the side. After shooting an arrow, the body of the crossbow that holds the arrow will automatically turn left for a third of a circle. The arrow's arrow hole is turned around, and the arrow can be fired with just one more pull of the trigger.If the left hand cooperates well with the right hand, one hand holds the arrow and the other shoots, you can shoot continuously.It is not very useful on horseback, but it is an excellent weapon for individual combat or sneak attack.And there is... assassination. Thinking of this, I couldn't help laughing.Do I really want to be an assassin?Although I am still an instructor at the military academy, I have no military post.Probably, I can only be an assassin. Standing in front of the door holding a hand crossbow, I suddenly felt sad.Thinking of the ambitions I had when I was a child, it has become so ridiculous now.I am disappointed looking at the sky. It is already early summer, and the big trees are lush with leaves, but when the wind blows, some leaves are still blown off.The yellow leaves fell with the wind, hovering and falling to the ground.The leaves were scorched yellow by the scorching sun, and they would turn into ashes when stepped on. There are not many things in the military school.Every day, I lead the students in the class to dance swords, study the art of war, and meditate and practice Qi when I have time at night.After sitting for a long time, although the body is getting stronger and stronger, the mind-stimulating technique is even more confusing.If Zhenqingzi is here, I can still ask him, but Zhenqingzi and Xuxinzi's master and apprentice don't know where they are now. News of the war came from both the North and the South.The war in Dongping City is becoming more and more unfavorable, and the intention of the snake people to flood Dongping City has become obvious. Due to adequate preparations, most of the civilians in Dongping have crossed the river to the north, or moved to various points along the river. Almost all the people in the city are The defenders are still in a stalemate with the snake man.Marquis Wen decided to abandon Dongping City, and was impeached by the second prince, but Marquis Wen argued that there was no other way, and most of the food and grass in Dongping City had been transferred. Even if the snake people captured the city, they could only get An empty city.Although the second prince was deprived of military power, under his awe-inspiring and impassioned spirit, the emperor also stated that Dongping City could not leave without a fight.Under the one-sided clamor of the ruling and opposition parties, Wenhou could only order the defenders of Dongping City to fight.But the loss in the First World War was huge, and the defenders lost 3,000. After the war, Lu Gongxing also wrote a letter to the second prince, explaining that under the situation of the battle, it is the best policy to preserve his strength and retreat, so the second prince has nothing to say. Once Dongping City falls, Dongyang City, which is watching and helping Dongping City across the river, is bound to lose its footing.Because of the adequate preparations for this battle, there will not be too much loss, but the Snake Man has won Dongping City and will soon cross the river north.The current situation has become the situation when Cang Yuegong rebelled back then, I'm afraid no one would have imagined it.During that crisis, Marquis Wen tried his best to turn the tide. Will the miracle happen again this time?No one knows.Perhaps, no one dares to think too much. The destruction of Dongping City was inevitable, and although they knew that the entire army would not be wiped out like Gaojiu City was breached, everyone was still afraid.But with Shao Fengguan, Bi Wei, and Lu Gongxing's three hundred defenses, the news of breaking the city did not come as early as expected. "On May 7th, the Snakeman built five embankments downstream. The Dongping City Navy sent out three times a day, killing two hundred enemies, destroying a thousand people, and destroying three embankments. Now the Snakeman is stepping up repairs." "On May 13th, Dongping City attacked again at night. The Snake People were already prepared, but their efforts were in vain. Due to the orderly retreat, the casualties were no more than a hundred people." "On May 20th, the five dikes of the lower rivers merged, and the snake man was able to rush directly to Dongyang City, and Dongyang City could not go out of the city to help in the battle." "On June 5th, the river had no water gates, and 5,000 guards were sent to reinforce the city walls day and night. The river rose by more than three inches every day." ... Urgent paperwork snowflakes usually come one after another, and the time has come to the end of June, the season of midsummer.Amid the sound of cicadas, this summer in the imperial capital is no different from previous summers on the surface. The prince and grandson are still looking for a place to escape the scorching heat, and the common people who are working hard to support their families are still working hard under the scorching sun, but people are gradually panicking all day long .When the news of the collapse of the Southern Expeditionary Army came at the beginning of the year, the snake people were still far away. Although it was shocking, they still felt that it was a distant thing.But now, these alien races in the true sense have reached the south of the great river, and are about to cross the river to the north, as if they are within reach. I still teach at the military academy.These days, besides teaching, meditating and practicing guns, when he has free time, he goes out drinking with Wu Wanling and Xue Wenyi.Zhang Longyou was too busy with affairs, rarely saw each other, and when talking about the battle situation while drinking, he couldn't help but sigh.Although the frustrating news came one after another, it was also heard that Marquis Wen had secretly trained troops in Xiongguan City when he was transferred to Qingyue and Hongyue to garrison King Qin.Xiongguan City is a famous city in the northeast of the imperial capital. It used to be the barracks of the 120,000 permanent troops of the imperial capital. Since the Southern Expedition Army was wiped out, most of the remaining troops have been brought to Dongping City. Xiongguan City has almost become an empty city.Marquis Wen has recruited exiles from all over the world to join the army for training. I have heard about this before, but at most they only trained for five months. In the past, recruits had to be trained for half a year when they joined the army. I don't know how much combat effectiveness this team can have now.However, in the eyes of ordinary people, having such an ambush is more or less reassuring. Marquis Wen ordered Dongping City to defend to the death, probably to buy time for training the new army. June sixteenth.It's the newest day of the year.It was decided that the graduating class would graduate early on July 1, and now the military academy is quite empty.I took the students in the class to practice the stabbing technique for a while, and all of them were sweating profusely.As soon as the class was over, I myself was so thirsty that I went to the tea bucket to scoop up a bowl of tea and drank it.Of course, these teas were not tributes from Zhijiang Province or Tianshui Province, but ordinary tea leaves brought in by merchants, with a slight tea flavor.But it's just a bowl of tea, after drinking it, it makes the mouth salivate and the armpits feel windy. Those students were also scrambling to drink tea, and I suddenly saw a horse running fast in the distance.I put down the tea bowl and shouted: "Assemble!" Although the military discipline is strict, these students are too young to be too strict, but if others come and see the mess of my students, I will not look good . The students lined up neatly.Their military discipline is mainly organized by Wu Wanling, but it seems to be the same.It's so hot now, and the man's horse is riding so fast, I'm afraid he has something important to say. The man came very quickly, and it was only when he got to the front that he realized that it was another instructor from the military academy.He rode up to him and did not dismount. He just turned the horse around and said, "Go back quickly. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Lord Wenhou are both here. They are urgently summoned and the graduation ceremony will begin immediately." I was taken aback and asked, "Is it because of the Dongping City incident?" He was already patting his horse and rushing back, and immediately turned around and said: "That's right, in the early morning of this morning, the Snake Man broke the embankment and flooded Dongping, and all the defenders in the city withdrew to Dongyang City." Dongyang City is smaller than Dongping City, but the city is far less strong than Dongping City.Without the corresponding horns of Dongping City, Dongyang City can't do anything alone, and most of them still have to be abandoned.At this time, the outside of the imperial capital Dongdu will be wide open, and the snake people can drive straight in.Once the city of Beining is breached, the imperial capital will no longer be in danger.Although he knew that the abandonment of the city was inevitable, it was still surprising when the news came. Leading the students back to the military academy, all classes have arrived one after another.Two thousand students from forty classes surrounded the playground, and the playground was also crowded. The front row was the graduates, all fully dressed.As soon as everyone arrived, the prince said a few words in a calm manner.In name, he is the sacrificial drinker of the military academy, so naturally he has something to say first.After he finished speaking, it was Marquis Wenhou, the deputy priest, who spoke.I knew what Wenhou said was the real point, so I listened with pricked ears. Marquis Wen just said a few words in an ordinary way. When he said that "the country is in peril, people should have loyalty and loyalty, and they must serve the battlefield to protect their families and the country." The class graduated early. The fifth graders of the military academy usually graduate in September, but this year there is an emergency. In fact, the new army trained by Marquis Wen is almost done. Now there must be a large number of middle and lower-level officers to supplement them. There are 400 people in these eight classes. Graduates have become the most scarce talents.Officers and soldiers also need a break-in period. I remember that Wu Zhao said at the beginning of the year that the graduating class would graduate early, but there is still half a month before the scheduled date. Now that Dongping City is retreating, the flames of war are bound to be drawn to Beining City immediately. Come on, without further ado, the matter of graduating early has been brought forward again. Watching the heroic young people come to the stage to receive their sabers, the students in the lower class in the audience were all clapped with red hands.From their point of view, how majestic these young military officers are, everyone is extremely envious. Half of these good young men will fall on the battlefield, right?Maybe, they are also in love, and they start to have girls they like, but who knows, will they be able to see them next year? At this time, there was a sudden roar from the audience, and almost all the students in the audience cheered.It was at the end of the award, and the last one was named Zhong Yugu, who was said to be a gifted student who ranked first among this year's graduates in terms of marksmanship on horseback, swords on foot, and art of war.Although the graduates have just graduated, they are awarded centurions or ministers according to their grades, but the last ten are called "Ten Elites of the Golden Sword", and the sabers awarded are gold-plated, which is a little different from the general ones. When I graduated Can't get it either.These ten people may not all become great weapons in the future, but almost half of the officers above the general level in the army have received the golden sword at the beginning.This Zhong Yugu is the number one among the Ten Heroes of the Golden Sword, and he is also the number one in spear, sword, and art of war.He was only eighteen or nineteen years old, with a dignified appearance, dressed in a neat military uniform, and looked dashing and unrestrained. When he took the saber, he knelt down on one leg and said loudly: "Your Highness loves soldiers like sons, we are so grateful, and we will be the ones who charge forward!" , Kill the enemy bravely, in order to repay the king's kindness. If there is cowardice, heaven and man will punish it." This Zhong Yugu seems to be really capable of both civil and military skills. These two sentences are concise and powerful, but they may have been prepared by the instructor in advance.After the awarding of the sword is completed, the military flag will be raised and military songs will be sung, and the batch of graduates will leave.Because the time was too tight, the military song was sung a bit chaotically, but it was still majestic and resounded through the sky: The festival is dignified, to the four directions. Take the water of the Tianhe River and wash my swords and guns. Gold and iron horses, thousands of miles of eagles. Like the sun rising from the East China Sea, it is brilliant and brilliant, My land and my people, my country and my state. Hold the festival in a dignified manner to guard the Quartet. Look at the long wind blowing my clothes. To open up the frontiers and expand the land, the dragon will fly thousands of miles. Like the sun in the middle, brilliant and brilliant, Broken to pieces, return to the king. The army originally used Na Tingtian's "Funeral Song" as the military song. Later, the second emperor thought that this song was unlucky, so he ordered the academicians of the Imperial Academy to compose this song.The tone of this song is majestic, and the rhetoric is gorgeous enough, but for some reason, I always feel that it is not as touching as "Funeral Song".It's just that those students sang with tears in their eyes, and in the singing, the flag gradually rose.There are white clouds in the sky, and this blood-red battle flag is fluttering in the wind, it really looks like a pool of blood stained in the sky. In the singing, the sun was shining brightly, like hundreds of millions of golden spears shot down, piercing the chest and canthus.I couldn't help being dizzy for a while, and I didn't know where I was in for a moment.Will you return to the king if you are smashed to pieces?Perhaps, the soldiers fought bloody battles just to repay the unreasonable and even ridiculous "Jun's kindness".In the eyes of the emperor and the clan, everyone in the world is really just a tool to expand the territory of the empire and defend the Quartet.Even if they fight and fight and make great contributions, in the eyes of the emperor and the others, they are at best "flying like eagles and flying like dragons". I don't know if others have noticed that I look a little strange, but I just want to laugh, want to laugh coldly. The singing resounded through the sky, and the hearts of those young people who sang may be burning with the passion to sacrifice their lives for the country.Once upon a time, I also had that kind of fire-like passion, but it gradually went out.On the bloody battlefield, in the struggle of life and death, no matter how hot the blood is, it will be cold. Marquis Wen stood on the stage, faint tears flickering in his eyes.What is on his mind?Perhaps seeing these students, he was worried about Zhen Yining's safety in Dongping City.Zhen Yining does not have the arrogance and extravagance of a dandy, he is both civil and military. Thanks to him, Marquis Wen did his best to save me this time.Marquis Wen did not allow Dongping's defenders to retreat, and Zhen Yining was probably also in the city.After a few months, his injury should be healed. When I saw Zhen Yining for the first time, he was still in the army under Bi Wei. He jumped from a small boat and jumped onto my boat. It shouldn't be a problem, right? After the meeting, the prince left immediately.With his personality, he couldn't stay on such an occasion. I dismissed the students in the class and was about to go back when someone came over and said, "Chu Xiuhong, Lord Wenhou is here to invite you." Marquis Wen called me over?I couldn't help but feel a little puzzled, and followed him.Marquis Wen is the deputy priest of the military academy, and the person who actually governs the military academy. He has a large office.When I walked to the door, I saw two guards standing at the door, and the door was closed tightly. The person who brought me begged me, "Mr. Chu, please come in." I knocked on the door, and Marquis Wen said from inside: "Come in." I opened the door and walked in, knelt down and saluted: "Little man Chu Xiuhong, knock on your lord." "Get up." I stood up, Marquis Wen pointed to the door again and said, "Close the door." I close the door.For some reason, I felt a little uneasy.Marquis Wen asked me not to know what was wrong, but I always felt that there seemed to be something wrong.Marquis Wen was sitting on a big chair, and the room was filled with the smell of alcohol.I bowed again and said, "My lord, what is the purpose of calling the villain here?" Marquis Wen raised his head and looked at me.His gaze was like a knife, it made my heart skip a beat, I was worried that there would be some bad news, I couldn't even sit on the teaching seat, Wen Hou said: "How old are you this year? " "A villain wastes three out of twenty times." I said anxiously.Marquis Wen asked me what to do at my age?Don't say something like "It's enough to live to this age", right?I was thinking wildly when Marquis Wen sighed and said, "I'm four years older than Yining." Do you mean Zhen Yining?I smiled slightly and said: "Although Zhen Canjun is young, he is capable of both civil and military affairs. He is truly a remarkable talent. The villain is far inferior to him except for how old he is." Marquis Wen looked at me, as if he wanted to see if my words were insincere, and I felt a little apprehensive, thinking that I had said something wrong, but Marquis Wen sighed again: "Yes, you are better than Yining!" Not far." If you talk about others, even if you say that I am far behind Lu Gongxing, I am not too convinced, but when it comes to Zhen Yining, I am a little convinced.Although he is still young, he already has the shadow of a famous general in the world. I have never seen a person like him who is as careful as a hair, vigorous in skill, generous and kind. With his family background and ability, It is entirely possible to become a famous general who surpasses the two princes of civil and military affairs in the future.Marquis Wen has such an heir, it is really a blessing for all people. When Zhen Yining succeeds Marquis Wen a hundred years later, I will be able to live in a better position under Zhen Yining. From this point of view, it would be better for Marquis Wen to have a shorter lifespan. good thing... "Chu Xiuhong, tell me, life spans vary. Is it really God's destiny?" I was so startled, I knelt down on the ground, kowtowed and said, "Damn the villain." My head also suddenly grew bigger.Can Marquis Wen also read minds?I was just cursing him to die sooner, and Marquis Wen must be furious.I was trembling, but Marquis Wen said in a trembling voice, "You...you know too?" What does this mean?Is it not because of what I said?I was thinking, suddenly, a flash of inspiration flashed in my heart, and I lost my voice: "Zhen Yining, he..." Marquis Wen drank all the wine in his glass, put it heavily on the table, and said, "It was I who killed him, he...he is only nineteen years old." This sigh was as heavy as a huge stone, and I was already stunned.Zhen Yining died in battle?I felt as if I had stepped on a void, and I couldn't help but staggered and almost fell. I quickly supported the table and said, "Is this news true? My lord, auspicious people have their own fortunes, maybe it's just a misinformation." Marquis Wen snorted: "Don't forgive me." He walked to the middle hall, looked at the hanging silk painting, and sighed again: "Oh, is it true that Qizhen must be jealous? " He turned to me, already in tears.He has always been smiling, and sometimes I think his smile is glued to his face, but at this time he is no different from an ordinary old man who has lost his son.Even if he had countless sons and daughters like Dijun, he would be sad if one of them died, not to mention that Marquis Wen only had one son, Zhen Yining.I couldn't speak either, I just stood aside silently. Marquis Wen quickly wiped the corners of his eyes, patted me on the shoulder and said, "Chu Xiuhong, you can go back. The country is declining day by day, and we still need your support." Zhen Yining died, the news still made me panic, I didn't know how to get back, I just kept thinking about Zhen Yining's image.This young man with a bright future has gone through his life silently like this, and his fate is really unfair.Maybe, if he was alive, the world might be different. As soon as I got back to my residence, I heard someone calling me from a distance.That was Xue Wenyi. I walked over and said with a strong voice, "Brother Xue, why are you here when you have time?" As he still cannot walk, he is still in a wheelchair, being pushed by a servant.He said: "I have something to ask you, please help me check the list of the dead in your team before." He handed me a parchment, and I took it and said, "What?" "The emperor ordered the Ministry of Industry to engrave the names of all the war dead on the monument of loyalty to the country." He looked at me and said worriedly: "What's wrong? You have a dark face." "Zhen Yining died in battle." I had just finished speaking when I suddenly remembered that Xue Wenyi didn't know who Zhen Yining was.Xue Wen also said: "Is Zhen Yining your friend? Don't think too much about it. Gaojiu City is worth a hundred thousand dollars if you die. If you want to be sad, you will be sad for ten lifetimes. The dead are dead, we still have to find ways to survive .” Xue Wenyi just said it in passing, but I was shocked and murmured: "Yeah, I have to find ways to survive." It was near dusk, and the red sun was sinking in the west, dyeing the west purple like blood.The twilight swept in like a thunderstorm, as if it was going to swallow everything.In such a troubled world, some people may become prosperous, but for the vast majority of people, they just try to survive, and I am the same. At midnight on the 14th, the Snakeman suddenly launched an attack on the north gate, and nearly a thousand casualties broke through the city wall, and the river poured into the city. In the early morning of June 15th, Dongping City was destroyed.However, Dongping City has been prepared for a long time, most of the civilians have already evacuated, and the ships built in the city in no time are enough to carry the 50,000 soldiers in the city. escape.On the river, the first real water battle took place between the Imperial Army and the Snakeman Army.Since the snake people did not have any regular ships, the defenders of Dongping City were able to command well, and the defenders suffered little loss. Only one medium-sized ship was sunk, with a total of 1,700 casualties among civilians, more than 900 soldiers, and the forwards of the imperial army. Zhen Yining, who joined the battalion, was killed in this battle.Now the defenders are temporarily stationed in Dongyang City, but Dongyang City will probably be difficult to maintain after losing the barrier of Dongping City, because the defenders in the city have gradually retreated to Beining City before the Snake People crossed the river, preparing for a desperate battle. The news spread throughout the imperial capital by the nineteenth day.Although this battle was a defeat, the Imperial Army suffered very little loss. However, such bad news on the hottest day of the year still makes people feel uneasy. Beining City has been broken, and they are about to go to the imperial capital soon.Of course, this is absolutely impossible, the snake man is not walking fast, even if he is in a hurry, it will take four or five days to travel from Dongyang City to Beining City.The strength of Beining City should not be underestimated, it is impossible to collapse at the first touch. Dongping City is one of the most fortified cities in the empire, and it ranks among the top five cities among the twelve cities. However, Dongping City was finally captured by the Snake People when Cang Yuegong rebelled because it was surrendered. fact.In the eyes of those common people, the successive fall of Gaojiu City and Dongping City, the two big cities listed among the twelve cities, made people even more terrified.The empire consisted of 19 provinces in the south, nine and north. The famous cities located in the southeast include Dongping, the capital of Zhijiang, Nan'an, the capital of Minrong, Wuyang, the capital of Guangyang, and Gaojiu, the capital of Nanning.After Cang Yuegong's rebellion, only a thousand defenders were temporarily stationed in Nan'an City. After Gaojiu City was broken, the defenders had abandoned the city and returned to the north. In this way, three of the four famous cities in the southeast have fallen.A quarter of the twelve famous cities have fallen into the hands of the Snake Man. On the 20th, the emperor issued an edict to offer sacrifices to the war dead, and Marquis Wu, Shen Xiping, and Lu Jingyu offered sacrifices to the Taimiao, and more than 100,000 soldiers built a monument of loyalty to the country in front of the monument.In the hundreds of years of the empire, the names of the war dead have been dotted all over the National Monument, not to mention there are many unknown soldiers. They were just unknown soldiers during their lifetime. After death, even their names could not be left behind. Since it was a time of war, the sacrifice would not be grand, at least not more grand than the Tianshou Festival.On the day when the Zhongguo Monument was erected, Xue Wen was also ordered to supervise the work. He let me, Zhang Longyou, and Wu Wanling take time to visit Huabiao Mountain and have a drink or two.He said "the dead are dead", but his words and deeds are consistent.Indeed, too many people died in battle, and there is no way to be sad if you want to be sad. On the 21st, the weather was fine and it was another rest day. Wu Wanling and I left the west gate and went up Huabiao Mountain early in the morning.On the mountain, Zhang Longyou and Xue Wenyi were already there. We found a place to sit down, and Xue Wenyi took out a jar of wine. We sat around and looked at the craftsman's stele.The Zhongguo Monument is not as big as the National Monument Monument, but it is also more than three feet high. It is a colossal monument, with 100,000 names covering the entire monument.Hundreds of thousands of people died in battle at once, which was unprecedented in the centuries-old history of the empire. The family members of some of the deceased had already arrived, and those orphans and widows were wearing filial piety, crying uncontrollably.At the foot of the mountain, there is a piece of farmland. The grass trees in the field are lush and verdant, and some farmers are working in the field. I looked at them with a glass of wine, and I couldn't help but feel another stabbing pain in my heart. I don't know how many people are crying in their hearts at this time.Those who were still there last year have become a gradually forgotten memory this year. Xue Wenyi sighed and said, "We almost became the names on the monument." Wu Wanling also sighed: "If we die together, maybe we won't even be able to keep our names." The 100,000 names seem shocking, and the number of civilians who died in the flames of war is unknown.Zhang Longyou took a sip of the wine in the glass, and interjected: "Don't be too sentimental, it doesn't matter if you can keep your name or not." Xue Wen also said: "When I was young, my father told me that people leave their names when they die, and leopards leave their skins after death. Alas, is this name more important than life?" Wu Wanling said: "My father is a small businessman, but he only told me that one must have money and status, and reputation is not very important." I laughed and said, "When I was young, my father told me that in the future, I must be powerful, become a high-ranking official, and make a fortune. If he knew that I have even been dismissed from the military, he would definitely I'm so pissed off, hehe." They all laughed.To be a high official and make a fortune, these words certainly don't sound as nice as "die for the country" or "swear to serve the country with death", but it is actually a big truth, which is what their father said.Wu Wanling suppressed a smile, and said to Zhang Longyou who was drinking on the sidelines: "Brother Zhang, did your lord say such things?" Zhang Longyou frowned and said, "I don't know, I don't have a father." Wu Wanling said: "How could there be no father..." He suddenly swallowed his words.When Zhang Longyou said this, he probably had something to hide, and it's not easy to ask these words too much.Xue Wen also smoothed things over and said: "Don't talk too much about life and death, drink some wine. The four of us were born and died, and if we can escape Gaojiu City together, that is the fate destined by heaven." I said: "That's right, the dead are gone, and the survivors are still alive. The sky is falling, and I am not alone." Zhang Longyou stood up suddenly, and said loudly: "Exactly. We have gone through hardships together, and today we can be together. From today on, the four of us are brothers who live and die together." My heart became hot, and I also stood up: "That's very good. If someone can become a high-ranking official and make a fortune in the future, he must not forget the other brothers. Brother Xue, Brother Zhang, Brother Wu, you are thousands of people do not forget me." Xue Wenyi laughed with a "puchi": "Brother Chu, you used to be serious before, but now you are cynical." He paused, and then said: "If you want to be an official, Brother Zhang has been promoted to be a native The palace chief officer, Wailang, will become a servant after one more promotion, so let's congratulate him first." The establishment of the Ministry of Industry is the left and right second ministers under the jurisdiction of Shangshu, and each of the five prefectures of gold, wood, water, fire, earth has five yuan wailang, and the person in charge is called the chief officer wailang.It didn't take long for Zhang Longyou to be promoted to Yuanwailang, and he immediately became the chief Yuanwailang. It seems that he is also a popular person in front of Wenhou. We were all a bit drunk, and even Zhang Longyou finally showed a little smile.But I was still a little uneasy.brother?Qian Wenyi can be regarded as the brother I formed in the Qianfeng camp, but he still betrayed me in the end.人总是在变的，今日的兄弟，明天也不知会变成怎样。武侯当初和苍月公的私交甚笃，据说他们还有结为儿女亲家之意，但武侯对付苍月公仍是毒辣之极。我看了看他们，他们仍是谈笑风生，都不知道我在想这些。 这时，一个小吏过来道：“薛大人，忠国碑已树起，马上要挖土基，请薛大人察看。” 忠国碑虽然比国殇碑要低一些，也有三丈高。这么高的石碑，当然不会是一整块巨石，而是用许多石块凿出榫头组装起来的，虽是石工的活，其实倒和木工更相象，所以才让薛文亦这个精擅木工的人督工吧。石头都已编好了号，每块都有上千斤的份量，这么重的石头要搭起来不是件容易的事。故老相传，当年的帝君在树国殇碑时，只想树起一块巨碑，一味求高求大，没想到凿石容易，搭起来却难于上青天。当国殇碑树到两丈高时，再要抬石头上去，脚手架都吃不住力。后来民间有人献上计策，把碑基用土堆起来，通过土堆抬石头上去，终于将国殇碑树起来了。这主意虽然简单，却极为有效，所以现在树忠国碑也用了这个办法。现在碑已树好，土基还没挖掉，只露出一个碑尖。薛文亦看了看，道：“好吧。你把这些酒收好。” 过一会可能文侯和太子都会来，要是他们见我们在喝酒，说不定会有不快。我道：“好吧，我们带点酒过去，再去祭一祭那些战死的弟兄。” 国殇碑上的名字毕竟离我们远了，而这块忠国碑上的名字却有不少是我们认识的。祈烈、谭青、孔开平、申屠毅、王东、金千石、虞代，这些我曾经朝夕相处的战友，他们的名字也该都在碑上吧？ 土基已经挖了一小半了，露出了忠国碑上的上半部份，那儿已经密密麻麻地刻满了名字，排在第一位的便是“唐生泰”三个字，跟在后面的便是陆经渔和沈西平。这三个人是南征军的三个最高主将，但是现在，他们的尸骨都不知在什么地方。我想找一找祈烈他们的名字，可是名字太多了，密密麻麻的，我根本找不到。 随着土基被挖下，露出的名字越来越多。我听得薛文亦他们的呼吸也变得粗重急促，那些深深刻入石头的名字也象石块一样沉甸甸地压在我们心里，仿佛有一种势不可挡的压力，周围明媚的阳光也好像一下子暗淡了下来。 我的眼前湿润了，耳朵里不时传来了一些女子和孩子的哭声。随着土基一点点挖下来，终于，忠国碑全部露在了外面。 我们不约而同地跪倒在地，薛文亦由张龙友扶着也跪了下来。我把一壶酒倒在碑前，想要说什么，但喉头一哽咽，却说不出话来。 酒倒在地上，泥土湿了一块，似是泪水的痕迹。 祭过了死者，我们退到一边，让杂工把碑身擦拭干净。吴万龄扶着薛文亦坐回轮椅，他刚坐好，突然皱了皱眉，道：“那是什么？” 山下有一列车队正从西门外驶出，边上有重兵守着。边上一个杂工听得薛文亦的话，停下手里的抹布道：“大人，那是内府的车子。” 薛文亦道：“内府？难道帝君有西狩避兵之意了？” 内府就是帝国的宝物库。帝国有三大内府，帝都有两个，另一处比较远，在西北的昌都省的山中。镇守昌都的青月公虽然也是与苍月公并列为三公之一，但由于他这一支源出宗室，帝君对他极为信任，昌都也是帝君的原籍，因此一个内府便守青月公世代镇守。大概大帝初得国时，因为怕国祚不长，万一子孙被人赶下帝位，在原籍留上一库珍宝，也好有东山再起的资本。现在帝君只怕还不会起意西行，但自蛇人攻破东平城后，京师震动，先行将一部份转移出去，省得真到了危急时来不及。可是有这样的主意，只怕已经对蛇人的攻势有了畏惧之心了。 这列车队中的大车仍有二十余辆之多，如果不派重兵押送，只怕在路上会被人抢走。但长途跋涉混乱之下，大车不时颠簸，只怕车上有不少易碎的都会损坏。吴万龄忽然长叹一声，道：“这些宝物遭此一劫，实是可惜。” 张龙友在一边笑道：“吴兄，你未必多虑了。宝物虽然贵重，终究只是细枝末节，真正的宝物，便在这里。” 他举起马鞭指了指前面。吴万龄和薛文亦都有些莫名其妙地道：“张兄指什么？” “你看，眼前这万里河山，那才是真正的珍宝。这些珍宝谁也无法毁灭，永远都峙立在天地之间。珍宝会消灭，会破损，但是山河永在。” 他的话说得豪气干云，吴万龄无法反驳，只是笑了笑道：“你这话也有道理。只是这些宝物一旦破损，便再也不能恢复，遭此兵殛，就此散落，实在太可惜了。” 张龙友有点不屑一顾地道：“只要这世界还在，那一切都可以从头再来，怕什么。” 吴万龄见我在一边只是不语，便道：“楚兄，你倒是说说看。” 车队正在大路上缓缓行进。装得太多了，车子行得也不快，从山腰上看下去，那列车队象是航行在青翠的麦田里的小船。我道：“世上最珍贵的，该是那些吧。” 我指着在麦田里劳作的农人。薛文亦一怔，道：“是什么？” “那些人。这世界上最珍贵的，该是天下苍生。不论是男是女，是老是幼，每个人都是天地间最宝贵的。珍宝易失，山河永在，但如果没有人，这一切又有什么意义？” 他们都有些不以为然地笑了笑，张龙友道：“你的话都和苍月的共和说差不多了。” 苍月号称共和军是“以人为尚，以民为本”，废除帝制，认为人人平等。但是在高鹫城里，共和军为了守下去，杀人取食，这样的行为哪里谈得上“以人为尚”？其实我是想起了在蛇人营中时听那个叫木昆的蛇人说什么这世界原本是蛇人的天下，后来才被我们这种人类占据。如果真的被蛇人掌握了世界，那么珍宝无数，关河险要，又有什么用处？帝君在这种时候不想着大发内府劳军犒师，只想着转移宝物，实在是本末倒置。 可是就算我的话，也没人会当一回事吧。我有些茫然地看着那列车队渐行渐远，沿着山路蜿蜒而去。