Chapter 14 Chapter 29: Cave Siege

After washing in the hot spring and changing into clean clothes, I feel refreshed.At dusk, the carriage sent by Zhou Nuo had already stopped outside the funeral home.After taking the car to Zhou Nuo's Dudu's Mansion, the lights inside were already brightly lit.Cao Wendao, Qian Wenyi and I jumped out of the carriage, and a messenger said loudly: "The forward battalion controls General Chu, the forward battalion Xiao rides General Cao, and General Qian arrives." Although this man's voice was loud, it was very clear, and he was not hoarse at all. feeling. Many middle and senior generals of the Xifu Army were already sitting inside. As soon as I walked in, Zhou Nuo stood up first, as if he had received an order, and the rest all stood up in unison. Zhou Nuo said: "General Chu, Please sit here."

He reserved the upper seat for me.I bowed to him and said, "Captain Zhou, you are too polite." Zhou Nuo said with a smile: "General Chu is an imperial envoy, and he led an army to help. My Xifu army is grateful. Come, we will not get drunk tonight." Wine in Tianshui Province is no different from other places.Because the land in Tianshui Province is quite fertile and produces a lot of grain and grass, it can still brew a lot of wine.It's just that compared with the Muguzi wine produced in Gaojiu City, the wine in Tianshui Province is much thicker because it is made from grain. I feel hot after drinking a cup.This is Zhou Nuo who clapped his hands and said: "If you have wine but no music, it's not a feast. Come, let the music and dance team come up."

I only knew that Zhou Nuo called up a group of girl musicians, but who knew that the door opened, and there were some soldiers in bronze armor and armed with gun shields.These soldiers are all about the same height, and the bronze armor on their bodies is also polished to a golden light. It doesn't look like practical armor. The only difference is that the helmets are black and white.Just as I was surprised, Zhou Nuo said to me: "General Chu, Tianshui Province is located in a remote place, and we are members of the army, so we dare not indulge in sensuality. Not forgetting the meaning of military training, General Chu laughed."

The band on one side no longer used silk and bamboo. A shirtless man played the three-way drum, and the bronze armored soldiers danced to the festival and stabbed each other.Their techniques are quite proficient, although they are not practical, but watching the shining swords and guns come and go, people are also a little frightened.This kind of dance has a murderous air, completely different from the obscene dance of female music popular in the imperial capital. I was a little drunk, but I couldn't help but be inspired by the momentum of this kind of gold and iron horse, so I put down my glass and watched.

They are not many in number, and their footwork changes with the beat of the drums. Although there are only about twenty people, and the open space in the banquet is not large, the dance team intersects and changes formation, as if wishful thinking, faintly seems to coincide with the art of war.If their movements were not so uniform, they could almost be used in battle.I took a peek at Zhou Nuo, only to see that Zhou Nuo was stroking his short beard, with a very smug expression on his face. Tao Shouzhuo leaned over and said in a low voice, "General Chu, this is the eight-form dance, which was created by Zhou Dudu and the staff in the shogunate changing the ancient method."

He spoke very calmly, as if he was just saying it in passing, but his tone was a bit strange.I glanced at him, he was already sitting in his seat, but I was still very restless.If Zhou Nuo just wanted to make up a dance, would he spend so much effort to change the old way with the staff?The implication in Tao Shouzhuo's words is that the eight dances can be used in battle without the dance movements.Zhou Nuo put his troops on horseback, prepared his horses, and even changed his music and dances into military ranks. Maybe, just like Tao Shouzhuo's secret report, he had a heart of disobedience.It's just that this kind of formation is too fancy, and I'm afraid it won't be very practical.

I looked at Zhou Nuo on the other side, Zhou Nuo still had a smug expression.This music and dance team has been trained extremely well. They swung swords and spears, swung shields to block, and stepped forward and backward. Although their movements were fast, their bodies were not stagnant at all, and they didn't even touch their clothes.Seeing me looking at him, Zhou Nuo said triumphantly: "General Chu, what do you think of these eight dances? These eight dances can change at any time. I saw it on a mural in an ancient house in Fudun City a year ago. After careful consideration, we made it into a This eight-array diagram."

I smiled and said, "I don't know if these eight formations can be used in actual combat?" I said this with a tentative meaning, but Zhou Nuo didn't realize my intention, he put the wine glass on the table, and said with a smile: "General Chu's eyes are as bright as lightning, I changed the eight formations, the original intention is to When it is used in battle, it is composed into music and dance for people to see clearly, General Chu, look." He clapped his hands, and the dance team was divided into black and white groups according to the helmet tassels. The black group formed a circular formation, and the white group formed a charge formation commonly used in the army. The formation-shaped white group rushed over like a sharp knife, and plunged straight into the circle formation.This circular formation is somewhat similar to the commonly used square circular formation, but its flexibility is not the same. As soon as the charge formation enters, the circle suddenly separates and closes. Every time a white-tasseled warrior rushes in, the circle turns like a millstone, Although the two teams had the same number of people, the circular formation faintly contained all-encompassing and endless scenes. The formation of the white-tasseled warriors was immediately twisted to pieces, and they were pushed out of the formation one by one.With the twisting of the circular formation, it was still slowly moving forward, but for just a short moment, the white-tasseled warrior seemed to have been swallowed by the circular formation once.

I was taken aback, but Cao Wendao said "Hey" and stood up. Zhou Nuo smiled and said, "General Chu, what do you think?" I couldn't even breathe out.These eight formations are so miraculous, I really didn't expect them.In actual combat, of course, it will not be as good as this dance team, but as long as 10,000 people maintain a formation, it is no problem to block 10,000 snakemen. The formations used in the army in the past are actually quite simple, especially When charging, the formation will immediately become chaotic, and formations are more used for camping.In the Southern Expedition Army, I once trained the strong wall formation with Jin Qianshi and Wu Wanling in the Longlin Army. However, although the strong wall formation is strong in defense, it is not conducive to attack, and the training is extremely difficult. We practiced day and night, but the strong wall formation still failed to perform. as it should be.Sometimes thinking about it, the strong wall array is really not worth the loss. If you really practice the skills required by the strong wall array, you can protect yourself without using the formation.Although these eight formations have complicated changes, they only change the formation and do not require the tacit understanding between the individual soldiers. It is much easier than practicing the solid wall formation. This is completely different from the previous formations. A completely new formation.

No wonder Zhou Nuo has a heart of disobedience. The roads in Tianshui Province are rugged, easy to defend and difficult to attack. They have this kind of magical formation, so when the snake people are attacking aggressively, the empire can't send troops to counter the rebellion after independence. .Even if they were sent out, at least more than 100,000 people would be needed to fight against the Xifu army. Under the current situation, this is simply impossible. Zhou Nuo said again: "General Chu, if you are interested in these eight formations, I will send someone a copy after the banquet. General Chu will help me see what can be improved in the formation."

I was so moved that I couldn't believe my ears for a while, and said, "Really? Chu Xiuhong, thank you, Commander." I had a bad impression of Tao Shouzhuo at first, but Zhou Nuo was bold, forthright, and well-equipped with both civil and military skills, but it made him I was very heartbroken, he actually wanted to pass on the diagram of the eight formations to me, probably he didn't have the heart of disobedience, at this moment, I have 70% to 80% disbelief in Tao Shouzhuo's words. Zhou Nuo said with a smile: "The enemy is in front of us, and we must work together to face the national calamity. Although the eight formations are not complete, but the last time the Snakemen attacked, they have made great achievements. I hope they can be carried forward under General Chu and shine brilliantly." .” I was taken aback, and said: "Captain Zhou, you mean...you mean that you fought a field battle with a snake man before?" Zhou Nuo said: "That's right. There are about 2,000 snake men on that route. I deployed the two armies of Gu Ning and Ye Motian in Motian Valley outside the city, and attacked with two eight formations. Those monsters couldn't resist the two. A general's onslaught, throwing away his armor and fleeing, haha." When he mentioned Gu Ning and Ye Motian, the two stood up at once, bowed to Zhou Nuo and said, "That's the commander's command, how dare the last general take credit for it." It's two thousand snake people, and they also take advantage of the terrain.For some reason, I was relieved.But they were able to win a big victory with 20,000 against 2,000, and they didn't lose much. This is also extremely remarkable. The imperial army can have such a record, which can only be compared with Bi Wei's previous counterattack against Beining City.However, Beining City was still defending the city, and it was the first time that Zhou Nuo was able to win in a real field battle. Perhaps, it was precisely because of Zhou Nuo's victory in this battle that his ambitions swelled unprecedentedly, thinking that the imperial army was vulnerable, so he had the intention of becoming a king on his own.But he is quite sincere to me, and he even passed on to me the Eight Formation Diagram that he compiled painstakingly, and he doesn't seem to be jealous of the empire. After the banquet, Zhou Nuo escorted me to the gate.Although I also took care not to drink too much, my head was still a little dizzy.When I returned to the funeral home, I felt dizzy, and I just wanted to fall asleep, but I touched the "Eight Array Atlas" in my arms. I took it out and tried to read it by candlelight, but the words I saw in front of me All of them are out of shape. Really drunk.I smiled wryly and put the book in my arms.In the past, I always kept "Victory in War Strategy" and "Tao De Xin Jing" in my arms, both of which were parchment books, but this "Eight Forms Atlas" was copied with the cocoon paper mentioned by Yemo Dawu. The two books are much thinner, and I still don't feel much in my arms.I rang the bell next to the door and asked someone to bring some cold water. I wanted to wash my face and refresh myself. Sitting at the table in a daze, someone knocked lightly on the door, I thought it was the cold water delivery person, and said, "Come in." The door opened, but the person who came in was not the servant who came to the funeral parlor, but Qian Wenyi.He didn't drink much, he wasn't drunk as much as I was, and he was still very sober.When I saw it was him, I was startled and said, "Brother Qian, why are you here?" But I felt a little uneasy. Qian Wenyi walked up to me, bowed and said, "General Chu, I know I'm sorry for you, I'm ashamed to see you, but there is something I have to say." I breathed a sigh of relief.Originally, I was worried that he was taking a risk and wanted to find my bad luck.I said, "What's the matter? Tell me." "Captain Zhou arranged us here, but the brothers from the whole army came to the barracks. What's the meaning of this?" I said, "There aren't that many vacant rooms in the funeral parlor here." Qian Wenyi shook his head and said: "When you led the Qianfeng battalion before, you took the lead and shared the joys and sorrows with the soldiers, so you could win the strength of the whole army. Now we pamper you, the whole army lives in the barracks, even if they don't think much about it, There must be a layer of separation from us. There is a saying in the art of war that the weather is not as good as the right place, and the right place is not as good as the harmony of people. Only with one army can we be victorious in every battle. General Chu, I feel like a bone stuck in my throat, and I can’t say it out loud.” His words were like pouring cold water into my head, and my drunkenness suddenly sobered up.I really didn't think of this either. I thought Qianfengying probably wouldn't think too much about it, but what he said was also reasonable.I nodded and said, "That's right. I'll thank Zhou Dunuo tomorrow, and we'll still live in the barracks." Qian Wenyi's face suddenly brightened, and he saluted me again: "General Chu, we belonged to the same family back then, and now you are my boss. I shouldn't be so rude. But General Chu, the ancients said Well, riches and honor can grind one's will the most, it really can't..." He didn't say anything below, but I also know that most of what he said shouldn't be worn down by ease.I said: "Brother Qian, you are very right, thank you for your persuasion." The former famous poet Min Weiqiu had a poem that was popular in the army for a while. It ended with four lines: "The Marquis general is in the military, and the soldiers are half dead. The head is thrown lightly, and the name of the country is empty."Because of this poem, Marquis Wu was furious at that time, saying that he provoked the morale of the army and almost killed him. Thanks to Marquis Wen's intercession, he was not pursued. Later, Concubine Jiang exiled him outside the customs. Depend on.I felt the same way when I was a soldier in these four lines. In a great battle, soldiers were born and died, but after the war, all those who were promoted to rank were generals at all levels. Although some soldiers were promoted to officers, more soldiers died. On the battlefield, you can't even keep your name.But now that I am a general myself, I seem to have forgotten all these words.I couldn't help feeling ashamed. Qian Wenyi probably felt that it was too much to say too much, and said, "Then I will rest, and we will all go back tomorrow. I don't know what General Cao means..." I interrupted him and said: "Cao Wendao, I will tell him." Although Cao Wendao is very happy to live here, but I want to explain this truth to him, and he will definitely listen. Qian Wenyi said: "That's good, General Chu, please forgive me for being rude." He saluted again, suddenly remembered something, and whispered: "General Chu, are we really going to reinforce the Xifu Army?" The Qianfeng Battalion set off, this time nominally to issue an edict to be promoted to the post of general of the Xifu Army, and then to reinforce it.My heart moved, and I said, "Yeah, what's wrong?" "We have less than 1,000 people. Compared with the 50,000-strong Xifu Army, our strength is insignificant. I am a little surprised, when the crisis in Beining City is not over, how can Lord Wen not distinguish between the serious and the serious?" My heart trembled, and I didn't want to say much, I said: "Your Excellency has his own reasons. You go to rest and go out early tomorrow." At this time, the servant who brought the cold water also came in. I asked him to put the copper basin on the table, close the door, and put his face into the water.It's getting a bit cold, and the water is a bit chilly, but it also makes me feel better.Indeed, Qian Wenyi could also see that our purpose was a little unclear this time, would a governor like Zhou Nuo not be able to see it?And can't Wen Hou think of the unreasonableness in it? I stuck my head out of the basin and dried my face.Suddenly, a flash of lightning flashed through my mind, and I was stunned. It's not that Marquis Wen didn't know that Zhou Nuo would see the weirdness of this matter, but he deliberately arranged it this way.Zhou Nuo's disobedience is just Tao Shouzhuo's one-sided remarks, and there may be other inside stories. If an army of tens of thousands of people is sent over at once, it's good that Zhou Nuo has no dissent. Inspired him to change early.I only sent a thousand people like me here, on the one hand to warn Zhou Nuo, let him know that his actions were not completely hidden, and on the other hand, just in case something really changes, I can restrain him.And Zhou Nuo must have sensed Marquis Wen's intentions, so he tried to win me over.Perhaps he was trying to draw me to his side. But, did Zhou Nuo know that it was Tao Shouzhuo who informed him? I dried my face and just put the towel back in the basin when I felt a sudden chill. someone! Having been on the battlefield so much, I don't have to look to know if someone is behind me.I bent down abruptly, pressed my left hand on the ground, and turned over almost touching the floor. During this turn, my right hand had already pulled out the Baipi Saber from my waist. With a "chick", when I just lay down, something flew over me and nailed to the bedpost.It's just very strange, this thing is far away from me, even if I stand still, it can't hit me. Is this assassin's ability so bad? I stood up with the knife in hand, rushed to the window behind me, and pushed it away.There was nothing outside the window, a round of cold moon hung in the sky, hazy by the fog in the sky.Tianshui Province is rainy and foggy. Even if it is not the rainy season, the fog is still heavy. What the hell does that mean?I racked my brains and couldn't figure out why.After closing the window, he was a little worried when he suddenly saw the thing thrown by the man just now.It was a dart with a small piece of parchment tied to it.I was taken aback and pulled it out, only to see a few words written on the parchment: "Baidi Temple". At dawn, I immediately thanked Zhou Nuo and explained that we were going back to the barracks.Zhou Nuo was taken aback, probably unable to figure out why I would do this.In fact, because of what happened yesterday, I was also a little afraid to live in the funeral home alone.Although I lived there well and ate well, but I didn't take care of them, I really couldn't let go. Back to the barracks with Cao Wendao and Qian Wenyi, they are practicing.After I settled it, I handed the "Atlas of the Eight Formation" to Cao Wendao, and asked him to practice the whole army first, and then jumped on Feiyu himself, saying that he was going to see the situation in Fudun City. The parchment yesterday was probably sent by Tao Shouzhuo, but I absolutely dare not be careless.I asked the natives, and I heard that the Baidi Temple is actually located by the river in the west of the city, more than two miles away from the city.The military camp is in the north of the city, and it takes most of the day. I don't know what will be in the White Emperor's Temple. In such a remote place, I can't be careless. Fortunately, I have prepared for it. I wear soft armor in my coat, and the hand crossbow that Xue Wenyi gave me is also hung on my waist.It was already noon when we arrived at Baidi Temple.Most of the days in Tianshui Province are not rainy or cloudy, but today is a rare sunny day, and a stone house by the river can be seen from a distance.This stone house is also very dilapidated. I don't know how many years. Although it is called "Baidi Temple", the stones are all black, and the vines and grasses drilled from the cracks of the stones have covered most of the walls. In front of the Baidi Temple, I saw a few horses tied to the gate. There is a river beach around here, and there will be no heavy soldiers in ambush.I tied up the horse, and had just walked up the stone steps, before I reached the stage, I heard someone laughing: "General Chu, you are here." That was Tao Shouzhuo's voice.He has already come out, followed by two followers.There was a stone table inside, with some wine and vegetables on it, but I was still a little wary of him, but I didn't show it on my face. After I sat down, I just said: "Tao Dudu, I don't know if you asked me to come here, what do you want?" Tao Shouzhuo lowered his head, sighed deeply, and said, "General Chu, when you came last time, Tao got dizzy for a moment and did something wrong, and he will regret it later." What he was talking about was giving them to the emperor as tribute.My heart was bitter for a while, and I said with a straight face: "This is an old thing, Dudu Tao doesn't need to mention it." Tao Shouzhuo said: "Since then, Tao has been trying to make up for this mistake. Hearing that General Chu came, he was overjoyed beyond words. General Chu is just young, brave and invincible, and he came here." He clapped his hands and curled up from behind the house A young woman stepped out.I almost cried out when I saw her. It was a woman in a yellow shirt, holding a pipa in her arms.When I first saw her, I almost screamed out, thinking that time had gone back and I was back to the time when I saw her for the first time in Wuhou camp.But if you look closely, although the woman's eyebrows and eyes are somewhat similar to hers, they are quite different after all. This woman is more gorgeous, but less delicate. I was stunned and said: "Tao Dudu, what is the meaning of this?" "In order to make up for the past, Tao has specially found a female singer for the general to entertain him. General Chu please accept it." I didn't expect him to think of such an idea, and I was speechless for a while.The woman came forward and saluted, and sat on a stone bench. Tao Shouzhuo smiled and said, "This lady is Xiao Xinyu, a pipa master in the music workshop. She is both talented in color and art, and her pipa is even more wonderful. Miss Yu, Would you please sing a song for General Chu?" Xiao Xinyu pursed her lips and smiled, tuned up the pipa, and sang in a low voice: "When you go, the peach blossoms are all over Deng Lin, but when you come, the peach trees have no shade. Only melancholy filled Yao Cen. The lapel sleeves are stained with tears from the lamp, and the pipa is still playing the sound of parting time. A thin lover has long since lost his heart. " Her voice was delicate and soft, extremely sweet, as if my heart had been plucked heavily, I only felt that my eye sockets were a little wet.Is it because the lover is ungrateful?I don't know if I'm a fickle lover, but in just one year, the world has changed too much, and I've grown too much. Tao Shouzhuo interrupted my thoughts, and said with a smile, "Wonderful, wonderful, it's really hard to finish a song, I'm afraid I'll be heartbroken when I reach the end." My heart hurt like a knife, I forced a smile and said: "It is indeed a wonderful song." Tao Shouzhuo said: "It's a great idea to listen to such a wonderful song. General Chu, come and have a toast." I picked up the wine and drank it down, only to find that the taste of the wine was bitter and almost hard to swallow, but that might just be my illusion.Tao Shouzhuo said with a smile, "Strong, strong. General Chu is a rare warrior in the world, and he can drink so freely, which is really admirable." Tao Shouzhuo is used to sweet talk, I know it too, but he is so polite, I can't always put on a face.I said: "Thank you Dudu Tao for his kindness, but the last general is in the army, so he can only live up to Dudu Tao's kindness." Tao Shouzhuo said: "General Chu is afraid of other people's gossip, right? It's okay, I have already bought a house for General Chu in a secluded place in the city, and there are servants to take care of it, General Chu can go there when he is free." I put down my cup and said, "Dudu Tao, let's get straight to the point. I don't know what orders did Dudu Tao have?" Tao Shouzhuo took a look at the two attendants behind him, they saluted and retreated with Xiao Xinyu.As soon as they left, Tao Shouzhuo whispered, "General Chu, when Lord Wenhou ordered you to come, did he ever explain to you?" There was some uneasiness in his words, maybe he was afraid that Marquis Wen didn't tell me about it at all, maybe I had a relationship with Zhou Nuo.I smiled and said, "Your Excellency understands Dudu Tao's deep meaning, so I will be ordered to come here at the end to observe the changes." Tao Shouzhuo said: "General Chu, Zhou Dudu really has the heart of disobedience, he has already pulled my subordinate Sheng Chang over, and even Baihu's generals have also secretly communicated with him, General Chu should be careful If it wasn't for the attack of the snake people, he was worried that the civil strife would cause a large-scale attack by the snake people, and he might have raised his flag to stand on his own." I sighed and said, "Dudu Zhou secretly cut Dudu Tao's military power. That is only the internal affairs of the Xifu army, and it seems that it cannot be said to be evidence of disobedience." Tao Shouzhuo also sighed and said, "General Chu, do you know why he only passed on the first and second routes after forming these eight formations? It's because these two routes are the ones he can trust the most." I said: "It's human nature to prefer direct lineage, and it's not evidence." "He has ordered people to make the 'Tianshui Kingdom' military flag for self-reliance. This is beyond doubt." Until then I was taken aback.If it's true, it's a big deal.I also lowered my voice and said, "How did Dudu Tao know?" Tao Shouzhuo looked around again, with a sneer on his face: "Zhou Nuo only wants to hide it from me, but he doesn't know that I have arranged people around him. I already know these things. All the equipment he prepared for self-reliance are put away." In the wooden factory in the east of the city, it is guarded by his own soldiers, and no one else can get in." He was probably a little anxious, and he already called Zhou Nuo by his first name. I pondered for a while, if that was the case, of course I couldn't ask Zhou Nuo to visit his wood factory in the east of the city, that would only make him suspicious.But if I haven't seen it before, I can't just say it, and I can't listen to Tao Shouzhuo's one-sided remarks. This is a big deal that can't be sloppy.I thought for a while and said, "Is it true? Then what should I do?" Tao Shouzhuo said: "Zhou Nuo still wants to win over you, General Chu, so he passed you the formation without reservation, just because you only have a thousand soldiers at hand, it would be best if you go along with him when he starts an incident, if you don't go along with it, It's just a matter of raising your hands to kill you. General Chu, the matter is very important, you must make a decision early." I said: "If Governor Zhou really wants to start a rebellion, you said he has 40,000 soldiers on hand, and you and I only have 11,000 soldiers, so what's the use?" Tao Shouzhuo said: "Now our only chance of victory is to make a decisive decision. He is not wary of you now, and he wants to win you over. He just needs to bring dozens of good men and raid his mansion at night. Afterwards, he will say that you are Lord Feng. The secret order stabilizes the morale of the army, and great things can be accomplished." I was secretly sneering, now it is not as simple as I thought, Tao Shouzhuo's words may not be completely credible, Zhou Nuo wants to stand on his own, he will not be afraid of being accused by Wenhou Xingshi, and neither will Tao Shouzhuo, if I really follow his words Do it, then Tao Shouzhuo will suddenly turn his back on him, thinking that Zhou Nuo will take revenge, and the Xifu army will naturally respond to take me down. This way, he will have a real reputation, and the morale of the army will be under his control. Even Zhou Nuo's subordinates will listen to him However, Zhou Nuo's preparations for self-reliance actually fulfilled him. Didn't I become a tool in his hands?Although Tao Shouzhuo may not have such a plan, I still have to guard against it.I said: "Tao Dudu is indeed a good plan, but what if the snake people attack at this time, what should we do?" Tao Shouzhuo said: "If the snake man attacks, it will be a golden opportunity. You can ask him to fight and ask him to go to the army. When the time comes, take advantage of the chaos and immediately behead him. Then we will block the news and issue an order in the name of Zhou Nuo. When the rice has already been cooked, those who know the current affairs will naturally return with their arms tied." He probably has already arranged this plan well. He has thought about it many times in the past few days, and he said it very smoothly.I sneered and said, "Tao Dudu, you are really far-sighted." Tao Shouzhuo said: "Don't you dare? It all depends on joining forces with General Chu. Alas, Governor Zhou has worked with me for many years, and we are brothers and sisters. I really feel uneasy about doing this. Loyalty to the country and righteousness of brothers, sometimes I can't do it." Best of both worlds." Is he faking it?I looked into his eyes, but there were tears in his eyes, I don't know if this is his sincere words, if not, then his acting skills are too realistic. I pondered and said: "The most important thing now is to confirm whether Zhou Nuo really intends to rebel. Governor Tao, please forgive me. This matter is too important to make a rash decision." Tao Shouzhuo said: "Yes, yes, I have already placed manpower in the wood factory, and I have considered this matter, so I will take you to inspect it tonight." He took me there by himself?I hesitated again.If Tao Shouzhuo sent someone else to take me there, I would have to think more about whether there would be any fraud in it, but if he took me there himself, he was confiding in me.If he is lying to me, isn't he afraid that I will capture him alive?Originally, I was a little suspicious of him, but at this moment, I believed Zhou Nuo's rebellion.I said: "Tao Dudu, your methods are really powerful, Zhou Dudu can't hide anything from you." Tao Shouzhuo smiled and said: "How dare you, time is the most important thing for marching, knowing yourself and the enemy, you can win every battle." He suddenly felt a little slip of the tongue, pointed at the river and said: "General Chu, look at this area surrounded by great rivers. Rivers and mountains, guarding them with their lives is the bounden duty of our soldiers." Some withered reeds grew on the river, the wind blew, the reeds bowed their heads, and the red sun gradually sank to the west. Tao Shouzhuo was holding a wine glass in his hand, and his expression suddenly became dignified.I don't know if what he said was the truth, but I also felt the same about what he said, and I couldn't help but fell silent. He put down his wine glass, smiled again and said, "General Chu, the deceased is dead. I hope that General Chu can put aside past suspicions and conspire together for great things." If the Xifu army collapsed due to civil strife, then two of the three routes that Marquis Wen had planned to advance simultaneously would have been opened up, and the empire would really be over by then.At that time, it will not only be a matter of Fudun City, but all the people in the world's famous cities will fall into the hands of the snake man. I dare not think about the scene, so I put down the wine glass, thought for a while, and said: "Tao Dudu , please rest assured, since the final general has been ordered by Lord Wenhou, he should serve his best." Tao Shouzhuo became excited, poured a glass of wine and said, "That's good, General Chu, I'll toast you again." I also clinked a glass with him, but I couldn't help but want to smile bitterly. Tao Shouzhuo and I agreed that in the evening he would take me to Chengdong Wooden Factory to see the military flags prepared by Zhou Nuo, and as soon as the matter was confirmed, he would be ready to do it immediately.Most of the Xifu Army is under the command of Zhou Nuo, so we must attack as quickly as possible. After returning from the wood factory, I jumped off the carriage at a secluded corner, and my heart was like a stormy sea.Even though Zhou Nuo had known for a long time that Zhou Nuo might rebel, once it was confirmed, he was still indescribably shocked. Tao Shouzhuo and I disguised ourselves as craftsmen and entered the wood factory. There was a small team of people inside who were placed by him. I was led by him to a closed warehouse. When I saw the neatly stacked military flags and livery, Can't help but gasp.Zhou Nuo has already come to this point, and he must be ready for rebellion.I was so upset and didn't know what to do. Back at the barracks, I summoned Cao Wendao and Qian Wenyi overnight to discuss, and they were all shocked when they heard the news.We discussed in secret for a while.Tao Shouzhuo suggested that I, in the name of reporting to Zhou Nuo secretly, would lead a few soldiers into the Governor's Mansion and take Zhou Nuo down.This plan seems to be quite feasible, but I am always a little uneasy, and I always feel that there is something not well thought out.It's not difficult to capture Zhou Nuo, but after taking Zhou Nuo down, I declared Zhou Nuo guilty of treason. Although Tao Shouzhuo helped, but when the time came, Zhou Nuo's commanders refused to accept it and launched a mutiny to take Zhou Nuo back. Isn't it going to cause a big chaos in Fudun City?But after thinking about it, I couldn't think of a perfect solution. If Zhou Nuo declared independence first, he would definitely ask me to express my attitude.When Luan Peng launched a mutiny in Gaojiu City, I had already encountered such a thing once. After discussing for a long time, we couldn't think of a good way, so we decided to adapt to the situation.After I came to Fudun City, Zhou Nuo didn't take us down immediately, which means there may be room for it, maybe Zhou Nuo knew that Marquis Wen was suspicious, so it's unknown if he stopped. The discussion is over, and the sky is about to light up.I dozed off with my clothes on, only to be awakened by the sound of a soldier entering.I was a little upset and said, "What's the matter?" The soldier said: "The governor of Zhou sent someone over." Zhou Nuo!I was taken aback. I was still discussing how to deal with him just now, but now he sent someone over, what is his intention?Is it going to happen today?I was a little flustered, I stood up and straightened my clothes and said, "Please." A Xifu army in soft armor came in, bowed to me and said, "General Chu, Tang Kai is very polite." This is Tang Kai?I suddenly remembered him.Nearly a year ago, I followed the tribute mission led by him back to the imperial capital.That time when I knew that Tao Shouzhuo was going to present them as tributes to the emperor, he was also determined to kill me to silence him, but now he stood in front of me respectfully, what a turn of events!He is Zhou Nuo's disciple and personal entourage. I looked at him and said with a sneer, "General Tang is more handsome than the last time I saw him. I miss him deeply." Tang Kai said expressionlessly: "Tang Kai only knows how to follow orders. General Chu, the governor has an invitation." What did Zhou Nuo call me for?Did he find out what I discussed with Tao Shouzhuo?I pondered for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll be right there." Tang Kaidao: "The governor asked General Chu to hurry up, he is waiting in the sword training room." Zhou Nuo likes to practice swords, and I already knew that.When I think of his aura when he practiced the sword, which is almost the same as in actual combat, I am a little scared. His Zhanying Dao is extremely magical. I really want to experience it again. It would be even better if I can learn it, but what's wrong with him?I couldn't refuse straight away, so I resolutely said, "Okay, I'll go right away." I followed Tang Kai to the Governor's Mansion, remembering seeing this man's sharp palms at the beginning, I didn't feel like I shivered.Tang Kai's palm technique is the Zhantie Palm of the Xifu Army, which is as famous as Zhanying Dao.Zhou Nuo himself is very capable, and Tang Kai and another follower always follow him inseparably. If something really changes, I must first take down these two followers with good skills.The saying "one is worth a thousand" is just a talk, there is absolutely no one with such great ability in the world, but if Zhou Nuo and Tang Kai fight alone, one is worth ten. When we arrived at the inner courtyard of the Dudu Mansion, we could only hear the sound of wooden knives intersecting from a row of rooms on the left.Although the wooden knife has no sharp edge, Zhou Nuo's knife skills are enough to break bones.Zhou Nuoji paid much attention to saber training, probably because Tianshui Province has a steep terrain and is full of mountains, cavalry can't give full play to their strengths, so he pays more attention to infantry combat.Walking into the knife training room, I saw him holding the large wooden knife at a glance. There were three people lying on the ground, and one of them had a big bump on his forehead, but Zhou Nuo had a satisfied expression on his face, and said loudly: They are all very good, and each has an extra salary of two hundred." Practice swords with Zhou Nuo, and if he is satisfied, he will get a salary increase, but if his swordsmanship is too poor, he will be dismissed immediately. The commander he selects must also be someone with outstanding swordsmanship.I remember that last time he intended me to be the commander of the Third Route Army, but this matter was left behind, maybe it was because my sword skills were not as good as he wanted. Before they left, Zhou Nuo greeted them and said with a smile, "Morning, General Chu." I saluted and said, "Captain Zhou, the general will be polite at the end." He said: "The last time General Chu competed with me was a tie, do you have any interest this time to see if the governor's sword skills have improved?" That time his Zhanying Dao made me weak all over, but it was also the first time I encountered this kind of saber technique head-on.Nearly a year later, I felt that my saber technique had also made great progress, and I really wanted to compete with him again.I bowed again and said, "Please advise Governor Zhou." Zhou Nuo smiled, and another attendant beside him had brought a wooden knife and handed it to me.We stood facing each other, saluted with the knife in our hands, and I was about to strike, Zhou Nuo suddenly looked at me meaningfully, and said, "What did Tao Shouzhuo tell you yesterday?" Like a thunderbolt, I was stunned.The fact of my meeting with Tao Shouzhuo is considered a secret. I never told anyone about it. I didn't expect Zhou Nuo to know it so soon.He asked too suddenly, and I couldn't even make up a reason. I was speechless when Zhou Nuo suddenly smiled and said, "General Chu, you are a young man, you are young, and you are also lustful." It's common sense, there is no need to be embarrassed, Bendu is not a person who is not enlightened, haha." Several thoughts had passed through my mind, and I immediately understood what Zhou Nuo meant.周诺并不知道我和陶守拙谈些什么，但他一定知道陶守拙带萧心玉去白帝祠这件事了。他大概是认为陶守拙要送我美女来笼络我，怕我不好意思，才找个偏僻地方，而我方才张口结舌的样子实在也像是心中有愧，不敢回答。我连忙装着不好意思的样子道：“都督取笑了。” 周诺道：“陶守拙也算小气，怎的只送你一个。楚将军，明日我去教坊再给你物色一对姐妹花，到时来个鼎足而三，只要她们不吃醋捻酸，你的艳福也算享定了，哈哈哈。” 他笑得很爽朗，我却不由得暗暗叫苦。陶守拙把萧心玉送给我，我都不知该怎么办，要是周诺再送我几个美女，那可真是添乱。我道：“都督，不必了，末将有一个便已足够。” 周诺道：“说什么话，你看看自古以来名将，除了那庭天，哪个没有三妻四妾。楚将军，只消你喜欢，多收几个侍妾那算得了什么。” I was speechless.既然周诺认定了我是个好色之徒，大概认为我推辞也只是惺惺作态，他是一定要送我美女了。我又行了一礼道：“都督美意，末将心领了。只是三天连娶三妾，实在难以服众，到时在前锋营中也不好交代。而且末将现在军务繁忙，大概会冷落了她们，要是弄得后院怨声载道，末将只怕难以应付了。” 周诺看了看我，仰天笑道：“楚将军，刚娶个侍妾，你就惧内了。既然你这么说，本督也不来难为你。来来，男人的本领有两种，希望楚将军另一种本事也和刀法一样好。” 我苦笑了一下，木刀摆了一个门户，正待攻上，突然门被“砰”一声推开了，一个人跌跌撞撞地冲了进来，一进门便摔倒在地。 这是个西府军的小军官。他浑身上下湿淋淋的，都被汗水湿透了。周诺皱了皱眉，喝道：“什么事？” 这军官爬起来，气急败坏地道：“周都督……蛇人……蛇人又攻来了！” 周诺大吃一惊，叫道：“什么？为什么斥堠不早来通报？到了哪儿了？” “离城只有二里。” 周诺呼喝一声，理都不理我，马上便出去了。我急不可待，急忙跳上马回到营中，一到营中，却见曹闻道和钱文义两人已将全军集合起来，一见我回来，曹闻道迎上来道：“楚将军，南门外出现蛇人了！” 我道：“我知道了，点齐人马，立刻出发！” 符敦城城墙虽然不高，但南北两门都是水门，东门外又是一大片滩涂，等如废弃，只有西门才是旱路。因为城池有三面是天险拱卫，极是易守难攻，所以西府军的主力放在西门，南门外出现的蛇人得渡江攻击，不是易事，因此周诺对南门并不太重视，没想到蛇人居然要从这里进攻，我也没想到。 领军抵达南门，周诺正在调兵遣将，南门口的人川流不息。南门本由陶守拙负责，现在周诺接了过来，他正在城头眺望着远处的蛇人军，周围都是他带来的亲军，陶守拙带着几个亲兵在他身侧。隔着押龙河，只见那一片树林正隐隐摇动，大概是蛇人正在进发。周诺转身道：“陶将军，你看蛇人到底想如何进攻？” 陶守拙道：“他们先前吃了个亏，这次还敢来，依我看，定是声东击西之计，南门只是佯攻，实际是想攻打西门。” 符敦城建在大江和押龙河夹角上，西边的城墙特别长，因此在西墙一南一北开了两个城门，十二名城中也只有符敦城共有五个城门。周诺点了点头道：“按兵法看来确有这个可能，只是西门至今又不曾发现蛇人，却也是件怪事。说不定，我们是高看了这些妖兽。” 我在一边也忍不住了，上前道：“两位都督，楚休红有礼。” 看到我，陶守拙意味深长地一笑，我明白他的意思，现在周诺在陶守拙的防区，如果不顾一切，马上就可以拿下周诺的。但此时大敌当前，拿下周诺的话定会引起一场大大的骚乱，蛇人趁乱攻城的话，后果不堪设想。我权当没看到陶守拙的眼神，走到他们跟前行了一礼。周诺见我倒是笑了笑道：“楚将军也来了。” 我道：“周都督，蛇人虽与我们大不一样，但它们绝非兽类，现在的举动恐怕大有玄机。” 周诺道：“果然，但我实在想不通他们到底要做什么。” 重蹈覆辙，那是兵法大忌。蛇人在南门外吃过一个大亏，这回重新又来攻击，如果不是有了十足把握，就是另有图谋了。 看着蛇人大队越来越近，忽然有个眼尖的叫道：“看！它们拿的是什么？” 蛇人渐渐近了，现在大概在一里以外。押龙河这一段有数十丈宽，大江最宽处可宽达二里多，在附近却还不及押龙河宽。河面上水汽弥漫，隔着水汽，看到的蛇人军显得奇形怪状，隐隐的，已能看见它们队中举着一面大旗，旗上绘着个人首蛇身，衣着奇怪的画像。最奇怪的是，那队蛇人手上居然举着些奇奇怪怪的东西，说兵器不像兵器，说是攻城器械，又好像轻得很。 它们究竟想干什么？ 蛇人军已到押龙河南岸，此时隔得近了，我们也可以看到在蛇人手上拿着的尽是木板铁锹之类。难道它们发明了一种新的攻城方法？南岸渡口原也有些驻军，此时早受命弃寨归城，蛇人却连正眼也不看一眼那儿的空营，沿河道转向东北方。远远的，我们已可以看到那些蛇人阴冷的眼珠。陶守拙这时像也忘了要动手的事，喃喃道：“它们到底要做什么？是想渡过大江？” 这一带地形险峻，押龙河发源于大江，由东北流向西南，在押龙河以东、大江以南，还是有一大片平地，但北岸却都是些悬崖，想要绕过符敦城渡江，那是不可能的。这时一边的第四军指挥使陶百狐过来道：“两位都督，蛇人是想攻东门啊！” 攻东门！我们都吃了一惊。东门外有一大片滩涂，泥土松软肥沃，原本是一大片良田，但自从鼍龙孳生后，这一片田地就都抛荒了，东门也已封闭，除了离城很近的地方还种植了一些作物，有时还要出东门收割，那儿就几乎是一座废门。周诺道：“它们要攻东门，难道它们和鼍龙是一家子不成？” 陶百狐神色也有些慌张地道：“它们拿着铁锹和木板之类，我看，它们是要在东门外挖掘地道攻过来！” 在东门外挖掘地道，这工程极大，几乎不可能完成。但蛇人身形细长，它们挖的地道不必像人的那样大，以木板撑住泥壁挖开一条狭窄的通道，也不至于大兴土木惊扰鼍龙，确是大有成功的机会。我听陶百狐这么说，顿时恍然大悟，看了看周诺和陶守拙，他们脸上也有了些惊恐了。 想不到蛇人居然会出这等奇计，先前被周诺打退的两千蛇人只怕是来探查地形的吧，蛇人一下就发现了符敦城的软肋，定出这种令我们匪夷所思的计策，实在让人震惊。这样的办法也只有蛇人才能想得出，而它们能扬长避短，岂是兽类可比？ 周诺叫道：“快！快分一万人到东门！” 东门原来只有些零星守军，蛇人挖掘地道并不会这么快，周诺现在大概也方寸大乱了。不仅仅是他，所有人都觉得一阵茫然，谁都想不出有什么办法可以破解蛇人的这条毒计。