Chapter 4 Chapter 4 The Road to Homecoming

Tao Shouzhuo's voice was very loud, but he was not too tall, his face was white and beardless, and he looked like a scholar.Judging from his appearance, it seems that he should be a generous person, but not necessarily.Shen Xiping's appearance is also very elegant, people who saw Shen Xiping would never think that he would be a murderous person, Tao Shouzhuo looks a little like Shen Xiping, I don't know if he is similar to Shen Xiping. When he walked into the sword training room, he was followed by two attendants.As soon as he entered, Tao Shouzhuo smiled at me and said, "This is General Chu Xiuhong, the commander of the Dragon Scale Army, right?"

Before I stood up, I took advantage of the situation and half-kneeled on the ground and bowed to him: "Tao Dudu, the last general is Chu Xiuhong." He squinted his eyes and looked at me, and said: "General Chu has worked hard from afar, please go and rest. Are you going back to the imperial capital?" "Yes, I hope the two governors will help." Tao Shouzhuo smiled and said: "Okay, I will discuss with Governor Zhou and send you back to the imperial capital tomorrow." Zhou Nuo seemed to be about to say something, Tao Shouzhuo said, "Tang Kai."

A follower behind him bowed and saluted: "Tang Kai is here." "Accompany General Chu to the funeral parlor to rest. I have something to discuss with Governor Zhou." Tang Kai said, "Yes." Turning to me, he said, "General Chu, follow me." I stood up, bowed to Zhou Nuo and Tao Shouzhuo again, and said, "You two commanders, I will retire at the end." Resignation is resignation, but the wooden knife in his hand was not easy to put down for a while, so Du Chen came over to take it.When he received the knife, I saw a smile in his eyes, and I didn't know what was going on, he was completely different from the cold look just now.I said: "Thank you." He and Zhang Longyou followed Tang Kai and walked out.

Du Xun originally placed us in a room next to the camp at the gate of the city, and Tang Kai led us to the funeral home.This Laiyi Hall is an inn, and there is a large plaque hanging at the door, with the words "Laiyi Hall" on it.I was about to enter the gate of the museum, but Xue Wenyi said in surprise behind me: "It's Lu Xizi's handwriting!" I also don't know who Lu Xizi is, I just told what happened, turned around and said, "What's wrong?" Xue Wenyi was half lying on the stretcher, pointed to the plaque and said: "Commander, look, these three characters were chiseled by Lu Xizi!" His face was full of excitement, although he was still very tired, a But the index finger is pointing, as if trying to figure out the direction of movement of these three characters.Tang Kaiben walked in the front, and when he heard Xue Wenyi's cry, he turned his head and said, "This gentleman has good eyesight, these three characters are precisely chiseled out by Lu Gong during Tianyou's five-year tour."

I said, "Who is Lu Xizi?" Xue Wen also said: "Commander, don't you know who Lu Gong is? Sigh." His long sigh was full of twists and turns, as if I didn't know who Lu Xizi was, and this life was wasted.I said: "I don't know, it seems that there is no famous general surnamed Lu." Xue Wen also said: "Gong Lu was the number one craftsman in the world more than a hundred years ago. He was known as a 'ghost worker'. He was also a craftsman in the army. Because his skills in chiseling, sawing and planing are unparalleled in the world, the late emperor promoted him to be a craftsman. The Ministry of Industry takes the post of assistant minister, supervising the repair of Jiaotian Pagoda."

Jiaotian Pagoda is a scenic spot in the imperial capital. It is located on Huabiao Mountain in the western suburbs of the imperial capital. It has been built for more than a hundred years. It was a whim of the emperor at that time to build the tallest building in the entire empire on Huabiao Mountain to worship the gods and soldiers of all dynasties.Huabiao Mountain is very windy, and the National Memorial Monument is as high as five feet, which seems to be beyond the reach of manpower, but the suburban tower has thirty-six floors, with a total of twenty-nine feet and seven feet. When it was completed, the imperial system of this generation of emperors In the poem, there is a sentence that "floating clouds dare not rise above it, which one of the world's famous mountains is equal to it".

Huabiao Mountain is not considered high, even counting the 29-foot-7-foot pagoda, it may not be the highest in the world.I heard that in the southwestern border of the empire, in an inaccessible place, there are endless mountains. The words are of course just bragging.However, within a hundred miles of the imperial capital, there is indeed no mountain that can be taller than the Jiaotian Pagoda built on the top of Huabiao Mountain.Climb to the top of Jiaotian Pagoda, and you can have a panoramic view of hundreds of miles around, and there is indeed a tendency to be the only one.However, the Jiaotian Pagoda is too high. I heard that even the tower will be shaken by the wind when you reach the top, so few people dare to climb to the top.When the Jiaotian Pagoda was first completed, the four ministers of punishment, soldiers, officials, and workers in the court wrote at the same time, admonishing the emperor to cherish the body of ten thousand gold and not to take risks. The emperors of that generation probably felt that climbing to the top was too tiring and too scary. After offering sacrifices once, they will no longer ascend the pagoda to offer sacrifices to heaven, and this suburban pagoda has become a misnomer.

At that time, the emperor wanted to build the pagoda and summoned the best workers from all over the world to the imperial capital, but no one dared to supervise the construction.At that time, the Minister of the Ministry of Industry even resigned from the appointment on the grounds that "this tower cannot be built by manpower".So someone recommended Lu Xizi, who was an engineer in the army at that time, as a supervisor, and the emperor wanted to let him try it out, and promoted Lu Xizi as the minister of the Ministry of Industry to supervise the construction of the Jiaotian Tower.

The thirty-six-story suburban sky tower is an unprecedented large-scale project.Lu Xizi was ordered in the winter of the first year of Tianyou. He spent a month traveling all over Huabiao Mountain and chose the third peak on the north side as the place to build the pagoda. It took only seven months. The tower was completed.Such a majestic building was completed in just seven months. There were many complaints from the bystanders, who felt that the tower would not last long, and the public opinion was so fierce that the emperor also felt that Lu Xizi was probably cutting corners and sent him to prison.It just so happened that in the summer of this year, there was a flood in Huabiao Mountain, strong winds, flying sand and rocks, and most of the thick trees on Huabiao Mountain were uprooted.Everyone only thought that the Jiaotian Pagoda would be razed to the ground, but after the wind passed, the Jiaotian Pagoda was intact. There were many fallen trees around, but not a single tile of the pagoda fell off.So there was an uproar in Beijing, and Lu Xizi was released on the spot, and Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry, who had previously attacked and impeached Lu Xizi the most, was imprisoned.The emperor originally intended to appoint Lu Xizi to be the minister of the Ministry of Industry, but Lu Xizi resigned because of his advanced age and poor health, so he traveled around the world.

After arranging the housing, I could not help but feel a little bit sad when I heard Xue Wenyi telling about Lu Xizi's deeds like a treasure.Lu Xizi finally resigned from office, probably because he was desperate for officialdom.At that time, the emperor still had the reputation of being kind, but if it weren't for a strong wind, Lu Xizi would have died in prison unjustly and unjustly.Seeing through the party formation and selfishness in the court, Lu Xizi jumped out of right and wrong, which is the best policy. Xue Wen also mentioned that when Lu Xizi traveled around the world for the last time, his face was already glowing red which was rare.He was more than a hundred years later than Lu Xizi, but coincidentally, he was also holding the same official position as Lu Xizi did back then.In the eyes of craftsmen like Xue Wenyi, Lu Xizi is like the Tingtian in our eyes, and has become their myth.

After finishing speaking, Xue Wen was also a little out of breath, I went to the table and poured him a glass of water and said, "Xue Gongzheng, take a rest, don't talk anymore." Xue Wen also said: "Lu Gong's relics are like a piece of auspicious light, which is very precious. Look at the three characters he chiseled out, each chisel fits the wood grain and texture, and it is never messy." I also couldn't see anything special about these three words, so I said, "Is there anything special? I can't see it either." Xue Wen also shook his head and said: "Commander, you are not familiar with knives and saws, so naturally you don't know the mystery. All wooden boards have grains, but the grains are different. If the grains are cut off, the strength of this board will be greatly reduced. After a long time, it will break, so if you look closely at any old plaque, the characters on it are probably deformed. Lu Gong chiseled these three characters, and each chiseled along the wood grain, so this plaque has been preserved for hundreds of years. The words are like new." I shook my head and said with a smile, "I can't see it." Xue Wen also sighed: "Oh, Duke Lu's magical skills are so perfect. Although we are immersed in this way, I can never dream of it. If I can have Duke Lu in other years, I, Xue Wen, can also be called a famous craftsman. And without shame." He suddenly spoke like a scholar, I laughed again and said: "Okay, okay, take a rest, I'll go and see Wu Wanling and the others." Xue Wenyi blushed suddenly, and said, "Commander, there is also...that..." I said, "It's Qin Yanchun, right? The four of them live together, it's fine." Qin Yanchun was the woman who took care of Xue Wenyi along the way. Originally, Marquis Wu had chosen six female singers and named her "July".Later they became familiar with us, and Qin Yanchun didn't like the name, so she still used her real name.Although I don't care much about them, I can tell that Qin Yanchun cares a lot about Xue Wenyi, and Xue Wenyi also seems to like her very much.Xue Wenyi was only about thirty years old, and he was also very handsome in conversation. When standing next to Qin Yanchun, they were a perfect match.I think when we go back to the imperial capital, most of them will get married, and Zhang Longyou and Wu Wanling also have a woman who is very close, and I am afraid they will also become a couple. Thinking of this, my heart skipped a beat. In this way, she should also become a couple with me, right?Although I didn't show it much, they must be able to see that I like her very much.That time she couldn't return after picking wild fruits. When I met Shuhu, I went to find her even though I was sick.Back in the imperial capital, maybe she will marry me? If this is the case, then the failure of the Southern Expedition will not hurt me personally. I was thinking wildly, when I heard Xue Wenyi sighed and said: "Oh, if I recover from my injury, I'm afraid I have to join the army." I shivered, and my wild thoughts were interrupted.Indeed, after we return to the imperial capital, I am afraid that I will have to join the army again.If I die on the battlefield, what will she do? At this time, someone knocked on the door, and I heard Wu Wanling say: "Commander, are you there?" I opened the door and Wu Wanling walked in.I said, "General Wu, why don't you change and wash it?" Tao Shouzhuo was very thoughtful.Our clothes were torn along the way, and after he placed us in the funeral home, he prepared a change of clothes for each of us. Wu Wanling said: "Mr. Zhang went to wash, let me call you. Commander Chu, has Tang Kai, who brought us here, left?" I said: "He went back to his life. What's the matter?" Wu Wanling said: "Commander, do you intend to be the commander of the Xifu Army?" I said, "Why do you think of asking this? I mean it, but they don't want me to." The military system of the Xifu Army is the Fifth Route Army under the command of the governor.Among them, the governors of Tongtong, No. 2, and No. 33 are the main governors, and the No. 4 and No. 5 routes of deputy governors.The commander of each army is called the commander, which is equivalent to the chief general of the army of the imperial army.I remember that Yuan Kexiang once commented on several disadvantages in the imperial army, one of which was "different military establishments", which is exactly what he was referring to.Although the title seems trivial, it is usually not a big problem, but when the armies join forces, because of the different titles, the junior officers don't even know which one to report to. Wu Wanling frowned, and said: "I was in the camp, and from what Du Zhi said, it seems that Governor Zhou intends to keep you in the army as the commander of the third army. The third army has not been reorganized for a long time, and he It has been difficult to find a candidate to be the commander, and there is still a vacancy." I couldn't help but suddenly realized, it's no wonder Du Bao was polite to me before, but after meeting Zhou Nuo, he suddenly treated me extremely cold.Perhaps, he was also a strong candidate for the third commander, because he was very dissatisfied when he heard that Zhou Nuo wanted to promote me as a commander.So when Tao Shouzhuo said that he wanted to send me back to the imperial capital, he immediately changed his face again. Figured this out, I couldn't help laughing.Zhou Nuo is also a person who does his own thing. Maybe in his eyes, as long as he has good sword skills, he can be a commander. He didn't expect that I don't belong to the Xifu Army at all. Where will the soldiers obey me?Besides, I don't want to stay here at all. I said: "So that's how it is. There are many people who are against this matter. The deputy governor Tao Shouzhuo seems to be firmly opposed to it. The matter is definitely going to fail. But this is also good, we can go back sooner." Wu Wanling sighed, and said, "Actually, it's not necessarily bad to stay in the Xifu Army..." I said, "Stay here, what about the four girls?" Wu Wanling blushed, and said, "If we stay here, let's spread our branches here. It's a coincidence that there are four of us, and they are also four..." I can't help laughing.These four women were collected by Marquis Wu to dedicate to the emperor, but now we don't have to care about it.I said: "Back to the imperial capital, of course we won't sacrifice them. I don't want to rely on them to get promoted, otherwise why would I face the princes under Jiuyuan?" Speaking of Marquis Wu, we all fell silent.Most of the 100,000 troops have probably died in the last battle now.So many robes who used to get along day and night, now, maybe they are a pile of dead bones in Gaojiu City? Wu Wanling blushed again after being told what was on my mind, and didn't say anything else.He is about the same age as me, usually relatively taciturn, but knowing Mu Shaoai's heart is no different.Even Zhang Longyou, who was called an idiot in the supply camp, wouldn't he also like a woman?Even Xue Wenyi, who was always lying on the mop bed, I smiled and said, "Why are you ashamed, even Xue Gong is lying seriously injured, and he still flirts with that Qin Yanchun." Xue Wenyi was still lying down even though his injuries were not healed. Hearing what I said, he couldn't help laughing, and said, "General Chu really knows how to tell jokes." While talking, someone knocked on the door, and heard that Qin Yanchun said outside the door: "Mr. Xue, can I come in?" I smiled and said, "Xue Gongzheng, I don't want to disturb your love talk anymore. General Wu, let's go take a bath." The funeral hall is built next to a hot spring. Behind the house, there is a huge bathhouse, in which a bath is built with stones, and inside is a pool of hot spring water.I heard that this is also Lu Xizi's design. The hot spring water enters one end and exits the other end. The water in the bath always keeps flowing, so it is always clean. When we came to wash, Zhang Longyou was washing inside.The bathing pool is actually mixed with men and women, and those women are probably concubines of some rich people.After washing and putting on new clothes, Wu Wanling suddenly said, "General Chu, why don't they come to wash?" I laughed and scolded: "You are really full of lust." Wu Wanling couldn't help laughing after being scolded by me. After taking a hot bath, I stretched my body and felt as comfortable as sitting on a spring breeze. I said: "Xue Gongzheng probably has to fool around for a while, let's go out for a stroll and see Fudun City." Wu Wanling said: "Okay, I also want to see here again. I heard that before the war, Fudun City usually had a population of one million. It is the largest city in the four provinces of China and West, and there are many historical sites." Zhang Longyou said: "Yes, there are thirty-six caves in the legal system, and Tianshui Province has Huolin Shangxuan, Taiyi Zongxuan, Dongxu Yongzhen, Taixuan Sizhen, Baoxuan Dongzhen, Chaozhen Taixu, and Dayou Huamiao. Among the seven caves, Taiyi Zongxuan, Taixuan Sizhen, and Baoxuan Dongzhen are located in Fudun City, and they are commonly called Sanxuan Dongtian." Wu Wanling said: "Mr. Zhang, you know these things by heart." Zhang Longyou said: "I have been familiar with these titles since I was a child, but I have never been to one place. Apart from the Thirty-Six Caves, I can recite all of the Nine Mountains and Twenty-Four Rulers, the Three Realms and the Seventy-two Blessed Lands." Very familiar." He was still waiting to go on, hearing what he meant, as if he wanted to memorize all the nine mountains, twenty-four governances, and three realms and seventy-two blessed lands. I hurriedly interrupted him and said, "Okay, let's talk about it later. Let's go and see." Look outside." We had just walked to the entrance of the funeral home when a man came up to us and said, "Three generals, do you want to go out?" I said: "Yes. Who are you?" The man said: "I am the director of the funeral home. My name is Liang De. You can call me A De. General Tang Kai will take care of me. If the three generals want to go out, I will accompany some of them out." This is spying on us, right?I didn't say much either.It's good to have him lead the way, anyway, we don't do any secret work, and we have to hide something.I said: "Okay." After walking around Fudun City, it was dusk.Although the city is devastated everywhere, it also shows a thriving scene.Fudun City has always been easy to defend and difficult to attack, and there is sufficient food and grass in the city. If there is no civil strife, the city is always stable. Therefore, although Tianshui Province is located in a secluded corner, it has the largest population among the nineteen provinces.Now that the war disaster is over, although the population of the city has been greatly reduced, it is still prosperous, and there are business people everywhere.According to Liang De, Fudun City now has a population of 500,000.The Xifu Army General Camp was originally located in the northern part of Tianshui Province. After moving into the city, many residents of the station also followed.It seems that in less than twenty years, Fudun City will return to its grandeur with a population of one million. After a circle, the sun is setting in the sky.We stood on the Wangjiang Pavilion in the south of the city, looking at the Yalong River.The river is sparkling, and the setting sun makes the river red, and sometimes there are dragons in the middle of the river, making waves. Looking from a distance, it is just indescribably peaceful. For some reason, my heart ached and I seemed to be about to cry.At this time, Zhang Longyou sighed and said: "The picturesque country is helpless, I only fight with heroes." These two sentences are the poems written by Master Tianji in "Huang Yu Zhou Xing Ji". I have never read "Huang Yu Zhou Xing Ji", but this poem has been widely circulated.When Master Tianji traveled around the world with the crown prince, when he passed through Shihu City, the capital of Chengmei Province, he saw a white bone on the river beach outside the city, and he groaned sadly. "The long wind swallows the sunset on the surface of the mountains, and the sound of the waves washes away old swords and guns. The picturesque mountains and rivers are helpless, only fighting heroes." I read this poem silently.This poem was only composed by Master Tianji, and I can't appreciate the sublimeness in it, but the faint feeling of compassion for heaven and earth, decades later, is still the same as it is now. The Imperial Army and the Republican Army are just people.I remember when Lu Gongxing and I were helping to guard the north gate, Lu Gongxing said this to the old pipa master.However, the two armies, which are no different, have become irreconcilable opponents. If we talk about the soldiers themselves, there is no reason at all.In the final analysis, it was only for the titles of Dijun and Cang Yuegong.But the common people are innocent, for the cause of the heroes, should they die like ants? When the long wind blows, the sound of the waves is one after another. It seems like there are thousands of troops and horses, and it seems like the sound of whimpering. Tao Shouzhuo didn't break his promise, we came together the next day, Tang Kai was already waiting outside the door.As soon as I walked out, he cupped his hands and said, "General Chu and Zhou Tao have prepared chariots and horses for you generals, and I will escort them into the imperial capital." I was a little taken aback, Tao Shouzhuo seemed impatient to let me go.I thought he would give me a car and a few horses at most, but I didn't expect him to send someone to escort me.I said: "The two governors fell in love with each other wrongly, Chu is really grateful." Tang Kaidao: "Originally, the two governors intended to invite General Chu to stay for a few days to inquire about the battle situation with General Chu, but the tribute envoy to celebrate the emperor's birthday is about to leave, so we must not miss the schedule." I see.I said, "I'll go and pay my respects to the two governors and say goodbye. Let General Tang lead the way." I followed Tang Kai to the Governor's Mansion.Unexpectedly, Zhou Nuo was still in the sword training room. It seems that he didn't deliberately humiliate me when he saw me in the knife training room yesterday, but because he was used to it.After I knelt down to thank him, he just said a few words like "Bon voyage" in a nonchalant manner. I don't know what Tao Shouzhuo said to him, so that he lost interest in me all of a sudden. Tao Shouzhuo was very enthusiastic, chatted with me for a while, and expressed his regret that I could not stay in the Xifu Army University.If I didn't know the inside story, I'm afraid that Zhou Nuo disagreed because he urged me to stay.I have always been incapable of dealing with such duplicitous characters, so I just said a few polite words and secretly smiled in my heart. We bid farewell to Zhou Nuo and Tao Shouzhuo, left the north gate, and the guards of the Xifu army at the ferry sent us across the river.The tribute envoys consisted of more than fifty people and ten carts, while we had two carts and two horses.I rode with Wu Wanling, she and the two women shared a car, and Zhang Longyou shared a car with Xue Wenyi and Qin Yanchun. Once on the north bank of the great river, it is more than a thousand miles away from the imperial capital.A car can travel hundreds of miles a day, and it can arrive in more than ten days.It was only at this time that I truly felt that the imperial capital was approaching. The emperor's birthday is March 23rd, and there is still nearly a month left. It stands to reason that no matter how slow the tribute envoy is, he can reach the imperial capital in a month, so there is no need to rush.Tao Shouzhuo couldn't wait to see me off, maybe he was afraid that I would have more dreams if I stayed in Fudun City.In any case, he didn't charge me as a deserter, which is still honest, and I have to thank him. Tang Kai also acted as a tribute envoy. One of his subordinates named Yemo Dawu was very talkative, because he was at the end of the team and joined me. He chatted with me all the way. I asked him a lot about Tianshui province. property customs. Because of the abundant rainfall, Tianshui Province is rich in tea and silk.The north is too cold to raise silkworms, so silkworms have always been grown in the south of the river, but for some reason the mulberry trees for silkworms only grow best in Tianshui Province.In peacetime, every autumn, Tianshui Province was crowded with merchants who came to collect silk and satin.But since Cang Yuegong's rebellion, the merchants in Wuyang City have been blocked from their way, and the silkworm farmers in Fudun City have no intention of raising silkworms. Last year's cocoon harvest was very poor.After the Xifu Army entered Tianshui Province, in view of the poor livelihood of the people, they vigorously developed sericulture. I heard that this year's silkworm cocoons will have a large production again. Tea is another source of income for Tianshui province.The tea in Tianshui Province is as famous as that produced in Zhijiang in the eastern part of the empire. It can produce hundreds of thousands of fresh leaves every year, and the amount of dried leaves is still considerable.Tea doesn't like water, and is also afraid of sunlight. Tianshui Province has a lot of rain, so the tea tastes a bit bland, and its quality is not as good as that of Zhijiang Province.However, the population of Zhijiang Province is small, and the output of tea is much less than that of Tianshui Province.In addition to these two cases, Tianshui Province is also rich in mountain horses.The mountain horses are short, and although they don't run fast, they have excellent stamina. This time, the tribute envoy also selected eight larger mountain horses to pay tribute.These few horses are different from ordinary mountain horses. They have good strength and speed, and they can be compared with the good horses in Wanma that are commonly used in the army. Listening to Yemo Dawu talking about the products of Tianshui Province, even sitting on a horse, he would be elated, but if he was standing, he would be dancing.I smiled and said, "Brother Yemo, you are very proud of your hometown." Yemo Dawu said: "Naturally, born here and raised here, this land is our biological parents." Yemo Dawu is probably also a scholar, and his speech is very elegant, but his words made me feel the same.This land gave birth to me, but as Master Tianji said, "Only fighting with heroes" is just a place to kill. I didn't want to think about it anymore, and said with a smile: "Brother Yemo, your surname is really rare, I have never met anyone with your surname." Yemo Dawu said: "General Chu, you made a mistake. This is not my surname, but 'shi'. My name is Dawu Delawangdui Kongba. I am from the Yemo tribe. I don't have the surname 'Yemo'. My original name was not easy to call, so I was called that. In the Xifu army, I have a lot of people. You only need to see that there are all people with the surname Yemo. Hehe, one of the barbarians people." I sighed: "A nation is just a nation. Brother Dawu speaks well, what a barbarian. Although I am a Chinese, compared with Brother Dawu, I am really far behind." Yemo Dawu said: "General Chu's praise, Dawu is really ashamed. By the way, General Chu, are these four women you brought captive from Gaojiu City?" The word "captive" of Yemo Dawu sounds ugly, but it is also true.I said: "Yes." I was about to say that they are not prisoners now, but Tang Kai, who was walking in front, shouted: "Yemo Dawu, come here." Yemo Dawu agreed and urged the horse to go forward.Probably Tang Kai heard his words and was afraid of embarrassing me.Actually, I have nothing to be embarrassed about, facts are facts. I turned my head and saw that Wu Wanling was riding beside the car she was riding in, probably protecting them. Back in the imperial capital, we will probably get married at the same time.But, suddenly, I thought of Su Wenyue. She is the first woman in my life, but now, where is her soul?Will you blame me? My heart throbbed with pain.Su Wenyue's frowns and smiles seemed to be at present. This is Yemo Dawu bringing his horse over again, still walking beside me.I said, "Brother Dawu, what's the matter?" Yemo Dawu said: "We are going to cross the border of Ulchi Province. General Tang told us to be careful." I wanted to ask what was the matter, but judging by his appearance, he didn't seem to dare to say more. Perhaps, Tang Kai had warned him not to say anything more to me.Remembering that in Fudun City, we had to have Liang De to follow us every time we went out, the Xifu Army still didn't believe us.When Tao Shouzhuo persuaded Zhou Nuo to dismiss the idea of ​​letting me join the Xifu Army, he probably also said to him, "I don't know the origin, so I can't keep it by my side". I didn't say anything more. The convoy rested in a mountain valley that night, and set off again early the next morning.The mountains in Tianshui Province are rugged, and the big river winds through the mountains and flows eastward.Eulchi Province is adjacent to Tianshui Province. After crossing the Dajiang River and going northward for more than a hundred miles, you will cross the mountain range and you will be in the border of Ulchi Province.Ulchi Province is far less prosperous than Tianshui Province. When the population was at its peak, the province's population was only two million. After the war, it may be even less. After walking for a while and rounding a mountain pass, Tang Kai suddenly ran back with his horse and said loudly, "We're going to pass the Ghost Roaring Forest, everyone be careful, take out your knives and guns." He ran around the convoy, and the Xifu army escorting the car took out their weapons.I was a little dazed, and said, "Brother Dawu, what's wrong?" Ye Mo Dawu said: "There are a group of bandits Xiao Xiao gathered here in Gui Xiaolin, blocking the main road. Be careful when passing here. General Chu, don't you have any weapons?" My weapon is only a Baipi knife.Although the Baipi knife is sharp, it is only a waist knife, and it is useless on horseback.I looked at Wu Wanling, who was also a little dazed behind me.Yemo Dawu urged his horse to a cart, and drew two spears from the cart.This long spear was originally tied to the side of the tribute as a reinforced wooden stick, and it was probably used for both straight and straight objects.He handed us the spear and said, "If you really meet that bandit, be careful." I took the spear and weighed it.People in Tianshui Province are generally short, and this spear is lighter than the one I'm used to, but their combat effectiveness is not necessarily weak.I swung the gun like a proficient hand, put it on the horse, and said, "Is that bandit very powerful?" Yemo Dawu said: "They were originally Li Tuan's guards, with a total of more than a hundred people. The leader was Li Tuan's personal bodyguard, named Zeng Wanggu, who called himself 'Ghost Head Zeng'. Ghost army'. Ghost Xiaolin has a radius of more than two hundred miles, they come and go without a trace, and they specialize in covering up and killing people from the Xifu army. We sent a large army to sweep them, but we couldn't find them at all." After Yemo Dawu said this, he immediately closed his mouth again, probably remembering Tang Kai's warning. No wonder it took more than two hundred people to protect the tribute envoy.According to what Yemo Dawu said, Zeng Wanggu specially concealed and killed the Xifu army, which also meant to avenge Li Tuan.This place was at the critical point for the Xifu army to reach the imperial capital, and Zeng Wanggu guarded here, and the Xifu army could not defend against it. In the Ghost Howling Forest is a giant tree towering into the sky, the tall ones are more than ten feet tall, and the short ones are five or six feet tall. The fallen leaves on the ground are thickly accumulated, and I don’t know how many years, and the leaves have grown densely Extremely, the wind blew, and the leaves of the trees were blown in bursts, like a ghost crying.It was broad daylight now, but the sunlight only occasionally leaked through the gaps in the leaves, and it was still gloomy inside. This is really a good place to ambush.If it is a snake man, it will show its strength even more in this kind of forest. I am afraid that a dozen or so snake men can kill more than two hundred soldiers.Zeng Wanggu's men don't know how effective they are in combat, they are definitely not as good at fighting as the snake man.But he was originally Li Tuan's personal bodyguard, so he was definitely not a weak person. I couldn't help being worried, took my horse, walked to Wu Wanling's side, and whispered: "General Wu, we have to be careful to prevent them from attacking from behind." Zeng Wanggu's people are not as many as Tang Kai's. It is not very likely that they will divide into two groups and attack back and forth, but they must be guarded against.Wu Wanling also looked around worriedly, and said, "General Chu, the cavalry army can't show its strength here." Although the distance between those big trees is not too narrow, horses can't gallop as fast as in the plains.Tang Kai's people were all riding on horses, once they fell, the horses would become a burden instead.I also thought about this problem, but once dismounted, the speed of the convoy will be slower, and I'm afraid it will be ambushed even more.If facing each other head-on, Zeng Wanggu's team had nothing to fear, but now they had to guard against it. I got to the side of the car Xue Wenyi was riding in and opened the curtain.Because there was Zhang Longyou inside, the three of them sat upright.Seeing me, Zhang Longyou said: "General, what happened?" "There may be an ambush by the rebel army, you have to be careful." Zhang Longyou touched the sword at his waist and said, "Do you want to help?" I can't help but laugh.Zhang Longyou's courage is not small, but his ability is not on the sword, and the more he asks for help, the more he will help.I said: "You stay inside, just protect Mr. Xue." I got to the other side of the car and stood guard with Wu Wanling. Gui Xiaolin was just like its name, listening to the wind above his head, he also felt chills all over his body.Gradually entering the hinterland of the forest, Tang Kai and the others became more and more solemn, already trembling. As he was walking, suddenly, there was a sound in front of him. Hearing the sound, he had fallen into a trap, and then there was a loud noise from all around, as if a group of gongs and drums exploded at the same time.The sound came suddenly, and my mount stood up.As soon as I grabbed the reins, I saw that the two horses pulling the cart were about to startle, so I patted the horses, rushed over, and pulled the reins.But this is superfluous, the driver of the carriage is very skillful in controlling horses, as soon as the two horses startled, he has already pulled the reins and restrained the two horses.At this time, I heard Tang Kai shouting loudly: "All dismount and prepare for battle!" The soldiers of the Xifu Army jumped off their horses neatly without any confusion.Looking over, someone fell into a pit at the front.The pit was not too deep, and the person who fell was strong and strong, and had turned over and jumped out. No wonder I had to dismount.Tang Kai had probably expected this move, once the horse was startled, he would lose his footing.Now everyone is on their horses, and those horses are all under arrest, so Zeng Wanggu's plan is in vain. I also jumped off the horse.The horses were startled by the sudden sound of gongs and drums just now, and they are still kicking the ground.I stroked the horse's neck twice, and the horse settled down. Unexpectedly, before I could rejoice, there was a sudden sound of piercing through the air, and a feathered arrow was nailed to the door of the car she was sitting on with a "clank". The arrow was shot from the left side of the road, which is the side where I am now. I was taken aback. I put the spear on the ground with my right hand, and slapped my left hand on my waist. On the side pedal of the car. From the pedals, I could already see inside.The three women were all a little panicked. Although she was not at a loss, her expression was changing.I said: "Low your head, block the window with a seat cushion!" Although the car board is not very thick, it is about half an inch long. To shoot through it, at least the divine arm bow from the former imperial army is needed. Definitely can't shoot through.As long as they blocked the windows so that no arrows could fly in through the openings, there would be no danger.She nodded, pulled out a seat cushion, and pressed it against the window.I was just about to jump when an arrow was shot towards the window.I flew up the knife and cut the arrow into two pieces, shouting: "General Wu, be careful!" Wu Wanling put the horse beside the car and said, "Commander, there is no one here." The arrows were all shot from the left side, the aim was not very good, and they were sparse, and many arrows landed far away from people.Judging from the momentum of the arrows, they all flew from the tops of the trees, and those disorderly troops were probably hiding in the canopy of the trees.But even if the aim was not good, with more than 200 people crowded beside the car, some of them were still hit by arrows. At this time, Tang Kai said: "The brothers on the left wing will follow me, and those on the right wing will form two columns to protect the convoy!" We didn't bring many arrows, and we didn't bring many shields either. Tang Kai also knew that if he used arrows alone to fight back, he might suffer a loss, so he divided half of the people into the bushes.The group of people he led were all the elite of the Xifu army. As soon as they rushed over, the rebel army stopped shooting arrows, only the sound of "rusting" came from there, probably this group of rebel troops were fleeing. As soon as Tang Kai chased him out, the rest of the people immediately relaxed.Dawu Yemo was standing next to me. He leaned the gun in his hand on the car, wiped the sweat from his brow with his hand, and said to me: "General Chu, the ghost army is actually the remnants of the rebel army. It was really a mob just now. We were taken aback. This time they have to give them a clean slate." His words were already very relaxed, but once Tang Kai left, his words became more frequent.But I was not as optimistic as he was, and said, "Brother Dawu, you can't underestimate the enemy now." Zeng Wanggu used traps to block the way, and then used arrows to ambush, which was quite methodical. I was really afraid that those people's escape was also a strategy. At this time Wu Wanling came over, with a long spear in his hand, he still didn't dare to neglect, staring at both sides, as soon as he came to me, he said: "Commander, when these people leave, they don't make any noise at all, I'm afraid there may be some deceit!" I nodded and said, "Exactly." When Tang Kai chased him out, I felt something was wrong, because when Tang Kai led the charge, those rebels stopped shooting arrows almost at the same time, logically, at least they had to shoot a few more arrows.And their voices when they retreated were orderly, so they must have been prepared. So, have we fallen into the trap of Zeng Wanggu?But Tang Kai allocated half to chase after the enemy, there are still a hundred or so people left, Zeng Wanggu will not have so many people, we still don't have to be afraid. As I was thinking this, suddenly there was another burst of arrow feathers from the bushes on the left.这批箭与刚才大不相同，又急又密，如同下了场暴雨一般，几匹马被射中，痛得“唏律律”地长嘶，在地上乱蹦。 留守的西府军被这一阵箭射得阵脚大乱，夜摩大武也向车队右边退去。我脑中一亮，叫道：“当心右边！” 我的喊声很大，西府军本来有不少躲到了车队右边，有弓箭的正向着左边的树林中反击，听得我的喊声，不少人扭头一看。但也就是我喊出声的同时，右边也是一阵如暴雨般的飞箭射来。 好一个声东击西的疑兵之计啊。即使是曾望谷正在对敌，我仍对这个还不曾见过的对手起了三分赞叹。他定是对西府军知之甚详，西府军押送贡品，兵器带得不少，但盾和弓箭这一类东西，因为带着太重，一用消耗也太多，带来的并不多。他用箭来主攻，正击中我们的要害。而且他以疑兵调走了一半人马，现在留下的人和我们人数相差不远。这一轮箭比刚才射来的更急，看来，曾望谷是把主力放在路右边，直到现在才发动。 这一阵箭雨射来，西府军总有十多人受伤，登时乱作一团。唐开带着人去追杀了，虽然并不太远，但要回来也得有一会，这儿是群龙无首，被曾望谷打了个措手不及。 我看着在箭雨下不知所措的西府军，心头也是一凛。两边都有箭射来，其实箭并不太密，曾望谷的人最多也不过百人左右，和西府军剩在这里的差不多。只是西府军阵脚已乱，而曾望谷的人居高临下，若不马上稳住军心，不等唐开赶回，这儿的百人只怕会被曾望谷全歼也说不定。那时势力此消彼长，唐开回来后也必将一败涂地。 好个曾望谷。我看了一眼吴万龄，吴万龄也有些惊慌，我道：“吴将军，你稳住这儿。”提起长枪向路边冲去。 曾望谷多半躲在路右的树上。就算是在左边，我若能将右边的乱军击散，曾望谷也不能有什么作为了。我听得吴万龄沉声道：“全体镇定，贴在车右，不要慌。” 吴万龄整军实在有他的一套，我也放下了心。有吴万龄在，西府军自保有余，我只消去冲杀便是。此时我已冲到了一株树前，刚一停步，便觉一股厉风射来，我头一偏，一支箭正从我耳边射过，钉在了地上。我也顾不上别的，人一跃而起，长枪猛地刺出。但这一跃之力，枪头“噗”一声，尽没入树干中，只听得周围一阵惊呼，其中大概也有乱军的声音。 武昭在示范给我们时，他的全力一击可以将合抱粗的大树击穿。我力量不及他，但用力的巧妙之处，已颇得他枪法的三昧，这一枪定给所有人很深的印象。 这枪刺在离地有七尺余的地方，我挂在枪尾，把枪也扳得弯成一张弓也似，借着一弹之力，人象离弦之箭，猛地弹向空中。 这树枝杈很多，我用枪身弯曲之力弹起时，正射向一根很粗大的树枝。我的右手抽出了百辟刀来，看准那树枝，左手一探，抓住了枝干。也正是这时，头顶的树叶发出一片“簌簌”之声。 这是有人在树上向我发箭。由于这支箭几乎是笔直射下的，他不一定能看到我的人，只是凭感觉射下，也几乎是射过了一大团树叶。此时我正在翻身上去，人也是头上脚下，心知用百辟刀去格定是格不住，而脚正在踢人，心一横，趁势一脚扫去。这一脚也不知扫动了多少根树枝，只听“哗”一声，一大堆树叶被我扫得雪片一般坠落。在树叶中，一支箭也斜斜落下。 此时，我已翻身跃上了树枝，正好看见有个人坐在距我头顶还有四五尺远的地方，正有些惊惶失措地拉着一张弓，准备搭上箭。我哪里还由得他动手，脚一蹬，人已跳起，左手抓住了他坐的那根树枝，右手的百辟刀直取他前胸。这时他哪里还坐得住？人在树枝上站了起来，作势要逃，但我的刀已如影随形，到了他胸前，这么近的距离，我都能看清他剧变的脸色了。 他本不该逃的，这么近的距离，哪里还逃得掉？本来他在上，我在下，他占了有利位置，但这人大概经历的战阵也不多，这般任由我攻击，自是让我占尽了上风。 我的刀几乎贴到了他的胸口，他手一推，将弓向我推来，大概试图用弓来挡我一挡，但百辟刀吹毛可断，他的弓弦一碰到刀锋便一下断开，绷得紧紧的弓“嘣”一声弹开，这使得他更站立不稳，我一声断喝，百辟刀没入了他的胸口，他眉头一皱，登时摔了下去，“砰砰”连声，一路也不知撞折了几根树枝。 我站在还起伏不定的树枝上，调匀着呼吸。刚才我实在有些轻敌，若不是这人箭术太差，以至于箭未至，声先出，我哪里还有命在？现在想想还有些后怕。如果是谭青、江在轩这路箭术好手，箭比声先至，我有九条命也得丢了。 这人的身体这时“砰”一声摔在地上。他坐在离地两丈多高的地方，从这儿掉下去，并不至于丢命，但他中我一刀在先，这般摔下去，怕也活不了。我正想看看这人，忽然面前的树叶又是一阵抖动，一支箭已穿过树叶，正射在我面前的一根横枝上，将这枝条射成两半，箭势仍在向前。我心一凛，百辟刀猛地在面前划了个圈，“啪”一声，一支箭正被百辟刀格开。 真是说到就到，我刚想着箭术好手能箭在声先，马上便出来一个好手了。我一阵心悸，心知这人再向我发箭的话，恐怕不能再有这般好的运气了，人向边上一闪，躲到了树干后面。也几乎同时，又是“啪”一声，一支箭正射在我面前的树干上。 这好手并看不见我吧，那他是凭感觉在向我射来的？我心头又是一寒。却听得路对面有人道：“那里的人，你是谁？” 一听这人的声音，我又是一惊。这人声音尖脆，听声音，似乎才十五六岁的样子。我靠在树干上，不敢出声，心知这人定是要借我的声音来确定我的位置，我要一出声，只怕眨眼间便会吃上一箭了。 这人不见我回话，恨恨道：“不管你是谁，你杀了我一个弟兄，我曾望谷定要取你性命！” 我有点默然。比起他的威胁来，知道他是曾望谷，那更令我吃惊。我一直想不到，曾望谷居然会是个半大的孩子。此时我再忍不住，喝道：“在下龙鳞军楚休红……” 我话不曾说完，眼前的树叶又是一阵抖动。我本来就已全神戒备，猛地伏下身去，“哧”一声，一支箭从我背上穿过。若慢得一慢，这一箭便要射在我身上了。 曾望谷一箭落空，又喝道：“快走！” 这时唐开带着百余人已回来了。曾望谷刚才没能一下击溃我们，若再不走便要落于腹背受敌之境。随着他的喊声，我周围发出了一片“簌簌”之声，从树叶的缝隙间望去，有一群人影在树顶上穿梭跳跃，有若猿猴，但人数并不会太多。只这他们刚才这一阵乱箭使得守在车边的西府军没敢有所动作。 唐开此时已经冲回车队，他喝道：“曾望谷，躲躲藏藏的算什么好汉？” 他手绰长枪，便要冲上前去。刚踏上一步，忽然从前面一箭飞来，唐开手中长枪一轮，但这一箭如电光石火，他哪里拨打得到？透过他的枪影，正中他的头盔。唐开的头盔是熟铜打制，这一箭也透不进去，只发出了“当”一声响。但这一箭也骇得他退了一步，不敢再追。