Chapter 14 Chapter Thirteen

Marquis Wu's voice was not loud, but it sounded like a thunderbolt to me.I raised my head, and said sincerely and fearfully: "Your Majesty, the last general is here." Marquis Wu didn't say much.After looking at me for a while, Marquis Wu said: "General Chu, if you have anything to say, please tell that court." The first time I heard this, I was shocked, as if it meant to kill me.That Tingtian is already an ancient man, if Marquis Wu asked me to talk to him, wouldn't he turn me into a dead person too?But I immediately understood that it was just for me to stand in front of the portrait of Ting Tian like everyone else.

Stories about ghosts and gods are very popular among the upper echelons of the empire, but I absolutely don't believe in them.From a young age, I only believed in what I saw.Two guards came to help me, so I stood up and walked over by myself. For some reason, I am calm now.Marquis Wu probably thought that I was unfaithful to him despite being promoted by him, which is unforgivable.But I didn't think much about it, as if I resigned everything to fate. I stood in front of that Tingtian's portrait, and Lu Jingyu whispered beside him: "Look into that Tingtian's eyes."

The portrait was not hung high, and when I was standing, the portrait was slightly higher than my head, and I only needed to raise my face slightly to see it. This portrait is of his old age.I have never understood why the portrait of him commanding a 200,000-strong army to conquer the world is not hung in the military academy, but he looks old and dejected.This is the same picture that hung in Marquis Wu's tent, it was a portrait painted by Na Tingtian when he was seventy-three years old.Na Tingtian lived to be seventy-four years old. It is said that in order to paint this painting, Hu Daozhen, the number one painter in the world at that time, lived in Nating Tianfu for two months. into this image.It is said that when the last stroke of this portrait was painted, Hu Daozhen was already exhausted, so the portrait of Tingtian was actually not complete, and the lower left corner was still blurred.Less than two months after the painting was finished, Na Tingtian also died of illness. Superstitious people said that Hu Daozhen's painting captured the divine light of Na Tingtian. Dare to get close.After Hu Daozhen collected Na Tingtian's divine light, Hades dared to send a little ghost to snatch away Na Tingtian's soul.

Of course I don't believe these superstitious words. I also saw a lot of this portrait of Ting Tian in his old age in the military academy.In the past, I felt that the majesty of the court was not diminished in his old age, but after all, he was a bit of a hero.When Lu Jingyu asked me to look into Tingtian's eyes on the portrait, I also took a closer look. As soon as my eyes came into contact with the portrait, I felt a shock all over my body, as if some kind of suction attracted me. In the portrait, Na Tingtian is already an old man who is not very old, but his eyes are piercing and sharp like knives, as if he is staring at me, looking straight into the depths of my heart.I couldn't help but tremble all over, as if I was immersed in an ice cave, the cold was unbearable.All of a sudden, all kinds of things from childhood to the present came to my mind.My father sent me to the military school when I was very young, experienced the death of my parents, fought with others in the military school, entered the vanguard camp after graduation, charged all the way, murdered and made meritorious deeds, fought with Pu Anli for that woman, saw her for the first time at the banquet , arresting Lu Jingyu, meeting the snake man for the first time in that house, Marquis Wu's scolding, rushing into the snake man's camp to steal Shen Xiping's head, Shandu's overly formal imperial dialect, and that night , Marquis Wu and her ensemble, just a few days with Bai Wei and Zi Liao, Wu Keqing's words.All these miscellaneous things flashed through my mind for a while, and I couldn't figure it out. I was able to think about so many things in such a short moment.

Is there anything supernatural about Tingtian's portrait? There was a moment of fear in my heart.In front of that portrait of Ting Tian, ​​I seemed to be unable to hide anything. Those who hate war, who are tired of killing people, usually hide it in secret. heart.If the Marquis Wu I think of now also knows, he will definitely despair of me.Those who have that kind of thought are probably worse than deserters-probably more dangerous than Luan Peng who wants to remonstrate. I stood there blankly, staring at the statue in the sky.The portrait is a little higher than my head, and I have to raise my head a little to meet the gaze of the sky in the painting.But the gaze of Tingtian in the painting is also downward, so when I look at the portrait, Tingtian seems to be looking at me in the painting.I don't know how long I watched before I heard Lu Jingyu's voice: "General Chu! General Chu!"

I was startled and turned my head, only to see Marquis Wu standing up before the case, looking at me. He also cares about me.I was relieved for a while.No matter how Marquis Wu treats me, but I was single-handedly raised by him after all, Marquis Wu may have somewhat of a father-son relationship with me. I walked up to Marquis Wu's case, knelt down, and said, "The last general, Chu Xiuhong, will die forever, and please dispose of it, Your Majesty." Marquis Wu sat down, and after a while, I didn't hear his voice.After a while, he let out a long sigh and said, "General Chu, you can go back. Longlin's army, you have to do your best to lead it well."

Marquis Wu is also lenient to me!I was both surprised and happy, and said, "Thank you, Junhou." When Chai Sheng attacked Luan Peng, I also saved Luan Peng's life.Although Chai Shengxiang's attack was useless at that time, and Luan Peng was desperate, but what I did was a bit like conspiring with Luan Peng.If it was the former Marquis Wu, who would be punished for violating military laws, then I would probably be punished for the death penalty. Marquis Wu said: "It is inevitable for you to live a crime, but since you have the heart to fight against Luan Peng, not to mention that the rebel who shot the arrow was also shot and killed by the soldiers in your tent. You saved your life."

Marquis Wu's last words gave me a chill in my heart, but I was relieved immediately.That's what Marquis Wu said, if it's too generous, it's not like Marquis Wu.I said: "I will be convicted at the end." Walking out of the camp of the Chinese Army, just outside the sun, I heard a burst of cheers, Qi Lie rushed towards me first, followed by Jin Qianshi, Wu Wanling, and Yu Dai, a group of Dragon Scale Army officers who are now very appreciated by me The famous archer Jiang Zaixuan also walked towards me with a battalion of a dozen archers just picked out.Qi Lie cheered and said, "That's great, General, you're fine!"

His words were also a little choked up, looking at his appearance, he wished he could come and hug me.I patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Xiao Lie, you are a centurion now, don't be so childish." Jin Qianshi walked over with a dozen dragon scale troops.Although he was not as exaggerated as Qi Lie, he seemed so excited that he almost cried. Looking at him, I can't help feeling a little guilty.If Marquis Wu hadn't ordered me to command the Dragon Scale Army, then it would be logical for Jin Qianshi to succeed as the commander of the Dragon Scale Army as the sentry officer of the Dragon Scale Army.However, since I came to the Dragon Scale Army, he has never expressed any dissatisfaction. The soldiers who have been under Shen Xiping's command for a long time have been a little xenophobic towards me for the first two days, but he explained it for me.

They surrounded me, Qi Lie seemed to be cheering a few times, and a soldier beside him shouted: "Outside Marquis Wu's tent, don't make any noise, return to our team quickly." This soldier had probably stayed in front of Marquis Wu's tent for a long time, and his speech was a bit stiff.Qi Lie stuck out his tongue and whispered, "General, that's great that you're fine." We jumped on the horses, Qi Lie meant to follow me to the Dragon Scale Army, I advised him, now that he is the commander of the Fifth Front Battalion, he really can't be so casual anymore, so he went back disgruntled.

After breaking up with Qi Lie, Jin Qianshi looked at Qi Lie's back and said: "General, your old department is very nostalgic." I smiled.To me, Qi Lie probably cannot be summed up as "nostalgia".If you don't feel arrogant, I treat him almost like Marquis Wu treats Lu Jingyu.I am a few years older than him, and I count him as his senior brother. When he entered the Qianfeng camp, he was not very familiar with swords and guns. I taught him every move.But there is no need to tell Jin Qianshi about these things, I said: "How is the right army now? Is there any chaos?" Jin Qianshi said: "General Mo is not a brave general, but he really has a way of rectifying military discipline. Now the deputy general of the Chinese army is the commander of the Chinese army, Yue Guohua, there is no big clamor. His bodyguards wept bitterly." "It's Yue Guohua." Yue Guohua is a commander of the Chinese army, and like Bu Wu, the deputy commander of the left army, he is famous for his maturity and prudence.Marquis Wu asked him to act as the commander-in-chief. He didn't want meritorious deeds, but he wanted no faults. "How is the snake man doing?" Hearing my question, Jin Qianshi was worried for a moment, and said: "I was about to tell you, the commander, that the snake people gathered outside the city and did not attack the city. They just pushed their camp half a mile forward. They are probably there now Set up tents." I was surprised: "The snake man erected the tent? Is the snake man himself erecting it?" Compared with the news that the snake man pulled out the camp, the snake man erected the tent by himself surprised me even more.If snake people can even do things like erect tents, then how are they different from humans? Jin Qianshi said: "Mostly I did it myself, but I saw it through the telescope..." When he said this, he suddenly stopped.I was a little anxious, and said: "General Jin, just say what you say, don't hesitate." "In the Snakeman team, there are some people." someone?My immediate thought was to cut open the corpse of the snake man and see the bones inside.The people in the snake team probably belonged to the dry food they carried with them.But are those people really so spineless?Perhaps, the snake people are the same as when Wuhou slaughtered the city, except for the craftsmen and women.Women are meaningless to the snake people, and the only ones left by the snake people are probably craftsmen. We have spent the night in Marquis Wu's tent, now it is morning, the sun is overhead, and it is warm everywhere, but I still shiver. From the snake man, it seems that there are already many shadows of ourselves. Back at the Youjun garrison in the west of the city, Jin Qianshi opened the two altars of good wine that he hid when he slaughtered the city the first day, and entertained the entire Longlin army.At the beginning of breaking down the city, I heard that the west of the city was full of wine, and the nineteen largest wine shops were all in the west of the city, and the right army was all drunk at that time.Later, after Zhang Longyou was recruited into the shogunate of the Chinese army, Marquis Wu once sent thunder drums to order people to deliver the wine, probably for making thunder and fire bombs, and it was rare to see wine in the whole city.As soon as Jin Qianshi took out the two jars of wine, everyone cheered. Jin Qianshi sliced ​​open the seal of the wine jar, and a scent of wine came out, making the insider want to get drunk.He poured me a bowl first, and then poured a bowl for each of the soldiers in the army.As soon as the three hundred bowls were poured down, there was very little left in the two large jars of wine.Jin Qianshi picked up the wine bowl and said, "Brothers, the Commander is safe and sound, let's drink to the Commander." All the soldiers of the Dragon Scale Army stood up and said in unison: "Commander." They all looked at me, waiting for me to pick up the bowl too. I picked up the bowl, and my eyes were a little wet. However, it wasn't touching, it was just a feeling that these good men were sent here for some reason, perhaps, the snake people would launch a large-scale attack tomorrow, and perhaps more than half of these soldiers would not be able to return to their hometown. I took a quick sip.The two altars of wine that Jin Qianshi hid are very good, but the taste of the wine is not very strong, it doesn't matter even for a person who doesn't have a capacity for alcohol, and it's like drinking water when I drink it. As soon as I started drinking, everyone was holding bowls and gulping down.It seems that I want to use this movement to forget everything, including fear. After drinking, there is no food.Today's dry ration distribution is less, the mid-level officers have all been deducted the excess part, and the entire right army probably only has more senior generals above ten thousand commanders, and everyone else only has four cakes a day. It was discussed yesterday. Well, the wishful thinking of saving ten pies is empty talk.However, Marquis Wu ordered Zhang Longyou to send two hundred fire bombs to equip the Dragon Scale Army.I remember Zhang Longyou said that 1,500 small fire mine bombs could be made in the city, but Marquis Wu actually sent us 200, which also shows that Marquis Wu has not lost his trust in me. Jin Qianshi and Wu Wanling started the drill with the soldiers.After all, the Dragon Scale Army is different from ordinary soldiers. They are also the right army. The soldiers led by Chai Sheng started to curse when they heard that only four cakes were distributed a day. How could they practice? I looked at it for a while, then turned around and walked to the top of the city, picked a clean pheasant plate and sat down.Looking down from above, you can also see the drill of the Dragon Scale Army.I took off the gauze on my left arm. Ye Tai said that my arm will probably recover in seven days.If you count, today is exactly the seventh day. As soon as the gauze was pulled away, I was a little shocked.The wound was very big. The snakeman's gun pierced my arm, and now it has healed. There are two scars on both ends of the arm, the upper one is bigger, and the lower one is smaller. I pour some water from the kettle to wash the blood from the wound.The wound has already formed a dark brown scab, which is hard to the touch, almost the same as the snake man's scales.I couldn't help laughing, I'm now in command of the Dragon Scale Army, if these two pieces don't fall off, I probably have the right to boast that I'm "extraordinarily talented, born with dragon scales". I was concentrating on cleaning the wound, when suddenly, I heard someone behind me say: "General Chu." This is an unfamiliar accent, and somewhat weird. For some reason, I thought it was the voice of a snake man. Is there a snake man coming to sneak attack? I jumped up and pulled out the Baipi Dao, my left arm was still exposed and I couldn't control it anymore.When I turned around, I was covered in cold sweat, and the wound felt a little painful.But when he turned around, he realized that it was not a snake man at all, but an unknown soldier, wearing an ordinary military uniform. I couldn't help laughing, I pushed the Baipi Knife back into its sheath, and said, "Okay." He is probably a soldier of the right army, maybe I have started to have a name in the right army.When I was the first to break into the city, I heard from Lu Jingyu that my name was being praised all over the city. Although I was happy to hear it, I also knew that it was just a polite remark.But after these ten days of offensive and defensive battles, plus I took Shen Xiping's head back, maybe my name has really been known to many people. The man sat down beside me and said, "General Chu, my name is Zheng Zhao, and I am the former marching staff officer of the Republican Army." He said these words calmly, but I was taken aback.But he immediately remembered that he must be one of the five or six thousand people brought by Cang Yuegong now.It's just that he came to me in the uniform of the Imperial Army and what did he do?Could it be that Duke Cang Yue is still recruiting people everywhere? Zheng Zhaoxiang knew what I was thinking, and said, "I am now a guest general under General Lu Jingyu's command, and I am not under the care of the Grand Duke." I was taken aback again.Zheng Zhao's observation of words and expressions is really good, as if he knows everything I think.I said, "Mr. Zheng, what can I do for you?" Maybe Lu Jingyu asked him to come.Could it be that although Marquis Wu agreed to the suggestion of Lu Jingyu and the Republican Army coalition, in fact Lu Jingyu wanted to win over the main generals of the various armies?I was thinking wildly, but I heard Zheng Zhao say: "You are wrong, I am only here as a private person." I casually said, "Isn't it General Lu?" As soon as these words came out, I was shocked again.He seems to have guessed what I thought just now, and he guessed so accurately.Who is this Zheng Zhao, and what does he want to do? He looked down the city.I was originally facing the west, looked over, about a mile away, the dust and smoke billowed, there must be a snake man dispatching.But there are thousands of troops in the city, but they can only defend to the death. They have suffered defeats outside, and no one dares to go out of the city to fight the snake man.Zheng Zhaoxiang murmured: "My parents were just a couple of ordinary old people in Gaojiu City. You have been besieging the city for three months, and the food and grass in the city have run out. Because I am in the army, I can occasionally send some food home. The neighbors starved to death, and even the corpses were eaten. Until one day, I managed to get some half molded rice cakes, and when I sent them home, I saw a group of hungry people rushing into my parents' house..." His voice was a little choked up. I don't know what he was doing when he told me these things, but I am sure that his parents will not have any good results later.When the city was finally broken, there were starving people everywhere in the city. Qi Lie told us that when we massacred the city, we saw some republican soldiers hiding in the cellar and surviving by eating the dead. He sighed and said: "Since then, I have hated war. What is the solution to the people's upside down? What is the return of all power to the people? It's not that the emperor makes things happen and the people suffer. I hate killing people. I hate killing others as much as being killed by others." .” I can't help but be speechless.What he said, I actually feel the same way.However, as a soldier, besides killing and being killed on the battlefield, where is there any other way to go?Sometimes I also feel that fighting and fighting like us is just to protect an emperor who has no virtue and no name?However, of course I dare not say these words openly, otherwise I will definitely be regarded as rebellious. Zheng Zhao wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and said, "General Chu, I lost my composure." I don't know what to say.He eventually belonged to Lu Jingyu, and he probably experienced many twists and turns during the period.When the Republican Army was powerful, it broke down the cities of the empire. Although there was no massacre of the cities, when they attacked Shihu City, which was also ranked among the twelve cities in the south of the river, in order to threaten the defenders who were holding on to the city, after breaking the city, generals The captured 20,000 imperial troops were buried alive under the city.Cang Yuegong claims to love the people like a son, and he declared that "everyone is equal, and everyone has the right to live" when he started an incident. Compared with such measures, it is almost like irony.However, for those princes, even if tens of thousands of people die, it can also be said that it is for a hundred thousand people to live better.In short, there is always a reason.But for those 100,000 people, isn't the life of these 10,000 people not life? My hand was still on the handle of the knife.Although I can't figure out the wrong eight-character inscription on the scabbard, I know it by heart. "It's not easy to only do one thing." Thinking about these eight words now, I feel even more sad.With a hundred swords, everything is invincible, even if the heart is not easy, tears will flow.I don't know which dynasty's general the man who made the knife was. These eight words may be words of comfort to himself after killing many people. Zheng Zhao suddenly said: "That is the saber of Li Sijin, one of the twelve generals when the great emperor took over the kingdom. At the beginning, the twelve generals were ordered to build the city, and Li Sijin guarded the city of Xijing. The scabbard is made of eight treasures and refined iron, and the eight-character inscription is embedded on it." "It's Li Sijin..." I murmured.Suddenly, I was startled, I never told him about the knife, if Zheng Zhao can even detect this, it would be amazing.I turned around, looked at him, and shouted, "Who the hell are you?" He was a little panicked by my scolding, and he calmed down and said, "General Chu, didn't you guess it?" I was a little baffled, and said, "Guess what?" He pressed his finger in front of his ear twice, and said: "So you just guessed it roughly. General Chu, I was able to follow General Lu because I have something that can read minds." "Mind reading?" I was taken aback again.The so-called mind-reading technique is a skill of the legendary Qingxu Tuna School, which is said to be able to know what other people are thinking.This kind of ability was spread so miraculously that I never believed it before.It is beyond my imagination that a person can know what another person is thinking.But Zheng Zhao is right in front of me, he knows what I think, and I have no choice but to believe it.But in this way, wouldn't he also know my rebellious thoughts? I got the Baipi knife.Perhaps, Marquis Wu finally agreed to Lu Jingyu's proposal because of Zheng Zhao's presence.As for the strange behavior of Marquis Wu who made us confess in the portrait in the court, I am afraid that Zheng Zhao was standing behind the portrait through the tent cloth at that time, and Chai Shengxiang would have such weird behavior, and I was almost at the time. I couldn't control what I thought, as if everything hidden deep in my heart was revealed at that moment. If he has reported all our ideas to Marquis Wu, then... I didn't dare to think about it anymore, cold sweat broke out on my back, I stood up abruptly, holding the handle of Baipi Dao in my hand, looked at Zheng Zhao, and felt a killing intent in my heart. Before he goes to report, I will kill him first! Zheng Zhao must also know what I am thinking now, and stood up, his face turned pale, and he said in a little panic: "General Chu, you want to kill me, I dare not resist, but, I didn't lie to you, I don't want to do it again." Seeing the murder, I came back to find you on my own initiative, and I never told General Lu,..." His words were also a bit incoherent, but my whole body relaxed, and I suddenly lost the idea of ​​killing.Even if he were to be killed, would he be prevaricated with "idealism is not easy" like the old regretful Li Sijin?How, then, am I any different from those murderers whom I deeply dislike? I sat down slumped, and said: "Mr. Zheng, you know what I'm actually thinking. I want to report to Junhou, so go and report." Zheng Zhao also sat down, and said: "General Chu, the Lord ordered me to spy on the thoughts of the generals of the right army. He just wanted me to see who was in the same party as Luan Peng, and didn't want me to report every detail. At that time , I read the minds of more than a dozen of you generals, and the others are full of grievances, most of them are thinking that once the matter is over, they must kill more people to clear their charges, but you are the only one who hates war." I said: "So what, even if I don't want to, the king has his life, and I still have to obey." Zheng Zhao also sighed, and said: "I have thought about it, if I can retreat safely this time, I will find a place where no one is alone to live in seclusion, and I don't want to see the filth of the world anymore. These words are not fast, but I Even General Lu didn’t dare to speak to you, he just came to tell you because he felt really uncomfortable in his heart.” I can't help but sigh.Why don't I have such thoughts as Zheng Zhao?But just think about it.If I really want to live alone, I'm afraid I can't do it.He trusts me so much, I am afraid he is not a soldier.But he treats me like this, I can't help being a little despicable.I looked at him, he was looking out of the city now, and he must not be peeking into my mind.I said: "Mr. Zheng, then you can't read my mind again in the future." He nodded and said, "Of course." I was silent, I just looked back at the Dragon Scale Army who was practicing under the city.The Dragon Scale Army lined up into three square teams, neat and tidy. It seems that Jin Qianshi and Wu Wanling's rectification of military discipline has achieved initial results, and the current Dragon Scale Army is not far behind the Qianfeng Battalion.However, no matter how strong the Dragon Scale Army is trained, what is the use in the battle situation? I don't want to think about it.No matter what, the whole army has a lot to do now, and morale is still not low. I can be regarded as leading a team anyway, and I can't be discouraged.I said: "Mr. Zheng, have you ever read what Duke Cang Yue is thinking?" Zheng Zhaodao: "Mr. Cang Yue is determined, I can't read it." "Is there anything you can't read?" I was a little disconcerted.Zheng Zhao can read my thoughts, but there are some people he can't read.Could it be that my will is not strong enough? Zheng Zhaozhun also knew what I was thinking, and said with a smile: "You can also say that. But General Chu doesn't have to be too unfair. So far, I can't read the minds of only three people. To be exact, I can't read the minds of one person. There are only two people I can't read. And some weak-willed people will temporarily lose their minds after being read, and that's the case with Chai Shengxiang." Chai Shengxiang likes to kill, in fact, it is to cover up the cowardice in his heart.At this point, I felt somewhat sympathetic to him.I said: "You can't read it, one is Cang Yuegong, and the other is General Lu Jingyu?" "No," he smiled faintly, "it's Marquis Wu. General Lu's mind is easy to read, he's open and frank, and he doesn't want to hide it from anyone. In fact, if you want to keep me from knowing, you can do it too." I am very interested.If I can have his ability, then everything will be beneficial, at least if the traitor who has not been found so far meets me, I can know it immediately.I said: "Did you practice this skill? Can you teach me?" He looked at me, hesitantly said: "This..." My face was a little unhappy, and he knew it immediately without mind reading skills, and hurriedly said: "General Chu, it's not that I don't teach you, most of this kind of ability is innate, and I don't know how to teach others. I can know what other people are thinking as soon as I meet them. Later, I got stronger and better, and I can know what is three feet away. It’s just that I have to concentrate on using mind reading skills. I used dozens of mind reading skills yesterday, and I was almost exhausted. , I used it on you two or three times just now, and it was very tiring." I couldn't learn it, and I was a little disappointed. I said, "By the way, Mr. Zheng, what did you say about a person you couldn't read?" Saying such things is also a bit ironic.I am not the kind of person whose will is as strong as iron, nor is it like Marquis Wu and Duke Cang Yue who can hide their thoughts at any time, probably I will never learn mind reading in my life. I was still thinking about it, Zheng Zhao said: "That's one of the soldiers in Marquis Wu's tent. I was yesterday. It was very funny. One soldier was full of women, and the other was full of charcoal, saltpeter, crockery, etc. This soldier was thinking about it." But they are words that I don’t understand at all. He has a veil on his face, is he a stranger?” It's the high-speed rail.I have never seen Gao Tiechong before, and I don’t know if he is a foreigner, but I also saw some foreigner when I was in the imperial capital, with high nose and deep eyes, blue eyes, speaking a strange language.If Gao Tiechong was a foreigner who was veiled because he was afraid of attracting attention in the imperial army, then he would probably attract more attention by doing so.I casually said, "Is Gao Canjun a foreigner? I don't know either. He's a celebrity in front of Marquis Wu, and he's a think tank of Marquis Wu." Zheng Zhaodao: "His mind is very weird. I think he seems to have a kind of hatred for everyone. Although I didn't know what he was thinking when I read his mind, I also felt a bit of hostility. It seemed that I hated everyone in the world. All dead." Does Gao Tiechong also hate war?I can't guess.The strategy of encircling the four generals he set up can be regarded as a poisonous strategy. A person like him should really want to rely on his military exploits to climb up the ladder.It seems that people's hearts are unpredictable, and it is indeed the truth. At this time, Zheng Zhao stood up, and suddenly said in a low voice, "General Chu, I have to go back to the east of the city." He seemed to have something else to say, but he just couldn't get it out.I said, "Mr. Zheng, is there anything else you want to say?" He suddenly became a little embarrassed, and said, "General Chu, actually I want to ask you one more thing this time... that... do you know a pair of sisters named Bai Wei Zi Liao?" He spoke a little hesitantly, and I suddenly realized.Zheng Zhao came to talk to me for a long time. After all, it was probably because he knew Bai Wei and Zi Liao sisters.Judging by his appearance, he may have had a relationship with one of these sisters before.Just which one is he for? At this time, I heard Zheng Zhao say: "It's Bai Wei! Where is she now? Tell me quickly!" I was a little displeased, and said: "Mr. Zheng, I told you that you can no longer read minds on me." His face was flushed, and he said: "General Chu, I'm really sorry. I don't need it, tell me quickly, where is Bai Wei now? You don't think of her at all." Didn't you think of her?I couldn't help being at a loss for a while.Indeed, it has been three days since Bai Wei Zi Liao left, but since they left, I seem to think of them two involuntarily, except when Zheng Zhao performed a mind-reading technique in Wu Hou's tent, and I usually think more about them. The woman who plays the pipa.Maybe, the kiss Bai Wei gave me before leaving was just gratitude. I was thinking to myself when Zheng Zhao suddenly said, "General Chu, tell me quickly, where did she go?" His face was full of panic, probably he was afraid that I would be like those generals of the imperial army who kidnapped women, who would treat women as nothing and slaughter them at will.Maybe my silence for a long time made him have such a guess. I smiled and said, "Don't worry, they went to Wuyang City three days ago. If everything goes well, they might be arriving by now." Wuyang City is more than three hundred miles away from Gaojiu City. If you drive fast, you can reach it in a little more than a day and a night.They were going there in a carriage. If the journey went smoothly, the three days would have already arrived.Zheng Zhao breathed a sigh of relief at this moment, and said, "Go to Wuyang City?" He looked relieved, and I couldn't help asking: "Is Bai Wei your fiancée?" He smiled wryly, blushing, and said, "I'd like to, but she hasn't agreed yet. General Chu, thank you." He looked at me almost gratefully.I sighed and said, "It's wartime now, and I was a little worried when the two sisters left." Zheng Zhaodao: "Don't worry, since Bai Wei is determined to leave, she will definitely not make a mistake. With her ability, two or three men usually can't get close to her." I was taken aback, and said: "Does she have such a great ability? I didn't see it at all." Zheng Zhao said with a smile: "They are the daughters of Duan Hairuo, one of Cang Yuegong's Seven Heavenly Generals, don't you know?" When Zheng Zhao said the name, I was even more surprised.I have also heard of Duan Hairuo's name, he is ranked fifth among the Seven Heavenly Generals under Duke Cang Yue, and Haoyong is ranked first, he is a famous general in the Republican Army.At the beginning of last year, Cang Yuegong sent all his troops to the south bank of the river. He camped for 50 miles and built a large number of warships. Seeing that the empire was in danger, Marquis Wu was still on his way to King Qin. , caused Cang Yuegong's offensive to be destroyed, and the main force of the 300,000 republican army assembled on the south bank was also completely defeated. This reversed the unfavorable battle situation that the empire had been in since the republican army rose up. Later, Marquis Wu was able to mobilize 100,000 troops to march south.When Duke Cang Yue was defeated, it was Duan Hairuo who led the army.Marquis Wen and Marquis Wu joined forces to pursue and kill Duan Hai. If Duan Hai used a team of 10,000 people to stop at the Pegasus Ferry and attacked the crowd with the few, there would be a huge disparity in the number. They rushed ashore, but Duan Hairuo refused to retreat.In the end, there were only 800 people left in the 10,000-man team he led, and they were besieged on a small hill. Marquis Wen cherished his ability and sent people to surrender, but Duan Hairuo chased away the lobbyists until he died in battle.At that time, I also participated in the siege battle in the vanguard battalion. I saw Duan Hairuo charging seven hundred men repeatedly until the entire army was wiped out. Hou's well-planned plan failed in the end, but such heroic actions also won the admiration of the Imperial Army.Because of Duan Hairuo's deadly battle, Cang Yue was able to lead the remnants back to the southern border, otherwise the Republican Army would have been defeated as early as last year.Unexpectedly, Duan Hairuo's daughter became my maid for a few days.When I recalled that when Bai Wei told me that they were the daughters of a middle-ranking official in the Republican Army, her expression was the same, and I didn't think about anything else. They can hide it so well, and they are really persevering.I sighed a little, but not dissatisfied. Zheng Zhao suddenly said, "General Chu, I'm going to find them." I frowned, and said: "Mr. Zheng, you are now a member of the Zuo Army. If you run away, that is a capital offense." Zheng Zhao smiled and said, "When I first met General Lu, I told him that once I found Bai Wei, I would quit the army. I would not participate in either the Imperial Army or the Republican Army. For the rest of my life I just want to be a farmer, plant the fields in peace, and live a life of men tilling and women weaving." It was only Lu Jingyu who could agree to such a request.I thought with a little emotion.I nodded to him and said, "Then I wish you good luck." He smiled and was about to say something when suddenly there was an exclamation from under the city. At first I thought it was the Snakeman attacking again, but this exclamation was just shock and not chaotic. Outside the city, the Snakeman camp was still full of dust, but there was no intention of attacking.And even if the Snakeman is attacking, it doesn't make sense that the people under the city would know about it first.When I walked to the city wall, I saw the Dragon Scale Army who were practicing just now stood still, all looking up to the sky, and I looked up too. But in the sky, a huge flying bird flew by.This bird is extremely strange, with its two wings spread out and motionless, because in the sky, it is impossible to tell how big it is, but at least it is as long as a person.Zheng Zhao was also surprised on the side: "What is that?" The big bird flew over my head and flew towards the snake camp.At this time, two soldiers from the Right Army who were patrolling the city ran over, and I said, "Hey, what's going on?" Those two soldiers already knew me, and one said: "Commander Chu, that's something Xue Gong is making, it can fly!" Did Xue Wenyi do it?His hands are extremely dexterous, he made the huge kite I took when I escaped from the Snakeman camp, and it was probably a kite.The bird-like thing flew extremely smoothly, but no matter how I looked, I couldn't see that it was connected by a rope. The two soldiers had already rushed to the edge of the city, watching the kite fly away.At this time, Zheng Zhao also came over, and suddenly exclaimed: "There is someone up there!" Only then did I see that there was a person sitting on it.I said, "Who is that? What are you going to do?" A soldier turned around and said, "Commander Chu, Gong Xue is sitting on it." "What is he going to do?" The soldier seemed to be very familiar with Xue Wen, and said: "Xue Gongzheng said that all the kites made in the past had to be connected with ropes, and half of the reason why the fire attack on the snake man failed was because he had to use ropes, and he could only rely on snakes." It can only be released if it is so close to the human camp, and he is trying to make a kite without a rope." A kite without a string?I stamped my feet and said, "Nonsense! He flew to the snake camp. If there is no rope, how can he come back?" As if to answer my words, the kite had already flown for a mile, about to reach the formation of snake men, and suddenly circled in the air, as if pulled by an invisible rope, and flew back again.我不由惊得目瞪口呆，想不通那是怎么搞的。 那个和薛文亦很熟的士兵欢呼道：“成了成了！老薛成了！我说他准能做得成的，他的手艺，才不愧叫妙手呢。” 如果不是亲眼所见，我绝不相信世上竟有人能做出能载人飞行的东西。风筝做得大了自然可以带人飞，但那非得有一根绳子连着，如果绳子一断，风筝便会一下掉下来。可薛文亦现在做的这个东西，似乎可以由坐在上面的人控制。如果当初用这个去火攻蛇人营地，就算蛇人有备，也不至于会弄得一败涂地吧。 蛇人营中一定也注意到了这个奇怪的东西，薛文亦飞回来时，那蛇人营中也有一队冲出过来，只是一个在天一个在地，蛇人的箭术又是糟糕之极，薛文亦在空中盘旋，虽然蛇人偶尔也放上几支箭，但哪里碰得到那东西？只是它们阴魂不散，紧追不舍。 这时，身后响起了一串足音，我回过头，却是金千石带着龙鳞军也上了城头。我道：“金将军，你快命人去禀报岳将军，速速安排人手守卫，防备蛇人趁势攻城。” 蛇人出营来追薛文亦的虽然不多，但安知不是条计策？如果它们趁势来攻城，措手不及之下，如果被蛇人攻上城头，那便是崩溃之势。岳国华刚来，我也去见过他了。因为右军除了我，其余将领都是旧人，岳国华反是很相信我，我去禀报，他多半会听从的，若是旁人，只怕会当成小题大作。 金千石答应一声，转身跑去。我手扶着一个雉堞，看着在空中斜斜飞来的薛文亦。 初春时，刮风甚乱，一会是西北风，一会风又自东北来了。现在刮得是西北风，薛文亦在空中不时盘着圈子，向我这边飞来。地上的蛇人在他转到城头方向时追几步，一旦被风吹回去便停住了。这等追追停停，已到了城外三百多步之遥。现在已能看到蛇人的样子了，虽则只有一两日不见，那些蛇人却也似脱胎换骨，进退有序。 蛇人中，一定也有能练兵的人。我不知那到底是真的人还是个蛇人，但那人本领的确不小，能将野兽一般的蛇人练到这等地步。这时，那个一见到蛇人大军便有的疑问又浮上心头，蛇人，到底是谁练出来的？又是谁在指挥？ 一开始路恭行曾猜是共和军私自训练的蛇人，但蛇人出现得太不是时候，等我们破了城后才出现。虽然我也曾以为那是因为蛇人未曾训好，但交战至今，发现蛇人似乎并不是驯服的野兽，而是会说话，会做东西的人一样的怪物了，更象是人一样。那么，统率这支蛇人军的，到底是个什么人？难道，在帝国军和共和军之外，还有第三方势力，想要趁两支力量两败俱伤时来个坐收渔利么？ 这时，郑昭在一边道：“楚将军，我得先走了。” 我回过头，道：“郑先生，我还有些话想问问你。” 他走过来。他不是个战士，蛇人逼到如此之近，他多少有点慌乱。我道：“你有没头绪，这蛇人到底是谁在统领？” 他摇了摇头，道：“我虽然读不出苍月公的心，但在陆将军与他谈判时对他带来的几个军官施过，那些军官虽然有不愿与帝国联手的，但没有一个想到蛇人。便是蛇人，也是我回城后才第一次听到。进城时我试了试，城中几乎人人都在想蛇人。” 一边虞代忽然笑道：“我们在想蛇人，蛇人也在想我们吧。” 他的话说得龙鳞军众兵也笑了起来。可是，我脑中忽然如电光火石般一闪，叫道：“对了！蛇人也在想我们！” 虞代一怔，大概以为我还在说笑，郑昭也茫然道：“大概吧。” 我道：“我们不知蛇人来历，难道蛇人也不知自己的来历么？” 郑昭也似恍然大悟，他动了动嘴想说什么，可却又没说。我道：“虞将军，吴将军，快去准备一些绳圈。” 虞代道：“统领，你要做什么？” 我哼了一声，道：“去捉一个活的蛇人回来！” 虞代吓了一跳，吴万龄也结结巴巴地道：“什……什么？” 他们大概以为我是个疯子吧。追薛文亦出来的蛇人有两三百个，虽然不多，但我们自己也只有三百来人，而我也调不动右军的，岳国华也绝不会同意我这等主意。虽然我们装备了两百枚火雷弹，但这等出击，胜无关战局，败则大损士气，的确也是得不偿失的。 我道：“我们不是要杀光那些蛇人，只消捉得一个活得回来便可。虞将军，你快去备马，等蛇人再近一些我们便冲出去。” 吴万龄迟疑道：“统领，未得军令，我们擅自出击，只怕会有违军令……” 这时，一阵大风刮过，在一边观看的士兵中突然发出一声惊叫，那个刚才和我说了一阵的士兵叫道：“老薛！” 我抬头一看，却见薛文亦坐的那个无绳风筝被这一阵大风一吹，忽地一倾，失去了平衡，极快地落下来。此时他离城不过百步之遥，远远望去，已能看见他正在那东西上拼命扳着什么，身子也绷得笔直。我不由一惊，这个薛文亦能做很多奇奇怪怪的东西，若他死了，那可不是好事。我道：“薛工正危险！事到紧急，可从权处事，君侯亦有此命，快去备马！” 吴万龄也看到了，他不再多嘴，冲下城去。我也跟着他跑下去，不忘扭头对郑昭道：“郑先生，你在这里等等我！” 郑昭大概有点不知所措，我只听得他道：“楚将军，这等太过危然了吧，还是……” 他的话还没说完，却听得城外“嚓”地一声响，城头的士兵也发出了惊呼，准是薛文亦掉下来了。 但此时我已无暇再去细看。一下城头，吴百龄果然快逾疾风，已带好了马匹，不少马匹上都放好了一圈绳子。他的动作如此快法，也实在令我钦佩。我跳上了自己的座骑，道：“快开城！” 龙鳞军营帐本就在城门口，已有人去传令开城了，我拍马向城外冲去时，城门正在慢慢开启，吊桥也在慢慢放下来。我等不及吊桥放下，便冲上桥去，加了一鞭，马在吊桥上一跃而起，跳到了护城河对岸。这般一震，我左臂伤口又有点疼痛。 毕竟没有全好啊。我想着，但这时已不在乎这些了，身后，龙鳞军的士兵也一个接一个地冲出来。 薛文亦那东西掉在离城有一百多步的地方，离那批蛇人更近。他是斜着掉下来的，在地上擦了长长一道印迹，看样子，人也不曾不受伤，正在费力地从里面爬出来，而他身后那一两百个蛇人距他不过五六十步，好在那些蛇人也追得急了，没有坐马车出来，在地上游动却不是甚快。我拍马冲去，右手在马鞍边摘下长枪。这长枪我也有几天没摸过了，左手捉住枪尾，颤了颤，舞了个枪花。左臂的伤处虽隐隐有些疼痛，但无大碍，就算用不出太大的力气，但使枪已无问题。在军校时，有“军中第一枪”之称的武昭当初也夸奖过我，就算我筋疲力尽，使出的枪法还是让人难以招架。只是那时军校中人才济济，一批同学三百人，我虽然得武昭夸奖，岁考时我一下也只能排到二十位左右。只是岁考并不能说明实战时的实力。我的力量比不上蒲安礼，在两人都精力充沛时，我马上枪术比不过他，但两人都累得半死再动手，我就有自信能击败他了。 薛文亦已爬出那东西来，他看见了，叫道：“楚将军！” 我喝道：“当心！” 他身后有个蛇人向他掷出一枪，他听了我的叫声居然回头一看，那一枪已经飞出，他呆了呆，好在那蛇人准头很差，离他的身体还有一两尺，扎在了地上。这一枪如果是当初沈西平投出的，有十个薛文亦也要扎透了。就算让我投来，薛文亦也难逃一死的。 蛇人的准头为什么都那么差？这也许是个可以利用的取胜机会，但这时也无暇再去多想，我的马已冲到薛文亦身边，虞代紧跟着我，另外有两个龙鳞军也冲了上来，我们四人几乎同时到了薛文亦身边。 那批蛇人虽然慢，也追了上来，和我们相距不过二十几步时，它们都停了停。大概，它们也料不到，城里居然仍然有人敢出来和它们野战吧，我咬了咬牙，叫道：“跟我来！” 我的枪柄一打马，马一跃而走，冲上了十几步，再向前冲便要冲到蛇人营中了。我把枪交到左手，右手从马上摘下绳圈，手握着绳头，猛地甩出。 这种绳圈本是对付敌人马队的，是步军常用的武器。和蛇人开战以来，便一直没什么用。我用绳圈不算拿手，但如此近法，绝无不中的道理。这绳圈套到离我最近的一个蛇人头顶，便用力一扯。那蛇人手中的长枪忽然一举，伸进了绳圈里，头猛地一缩，已退出了绳圈，我这般一扯，恰好将它手中的长枪套住。 pity. 没等我这么说出口，虞代也飞出一个绳圈，也套向那个蛇人。那蛇人还不想放弃长枪，正在用力回夺，虞代这绳圈不偏不倚，正套在它头上。我喜道：“好！快走！” 几个蛇人又要冲上来，这时，吴万龄的声音从我身后响了起来：“放箭！” 破空之声大作，十来支箭飞来，那几个想来救被擒蛇人的蛇人身上，每个都中了两三枝箭。这准是江在轩的弓箭队。他们在马上也能发出这般准头的箭来，实在已与当初谭青那个神射手组成的一什不相上下。那几个蛇人虽然中了箭，却不曾毙命，仍要冲上前来，虞代这时已带转马匹，正要拖那蛇人回来。那蛇人当真了得，虞代一人一马之力，那蛇人象铁柱一下盘在地上，竟然拖不动。这时，虞代边上的另两个龙鳞军士兵也抛出绳圈，正套在那蛇人头上。这蛇人正在和虞代相持，忽然被套上另两个绳圈，准也昏了头，一下被虞代拉得笔直，在地上拖了过来。 我也带住了马。擒住了一个蛇人，已可大功告成。我叫道：“快来人，将这蛇人绑起来。”说罢，从怀里摸出一个火雷弹。 火雷弹不是人人都有，我身上也只有两个。吴万龄看我的样子，也摸出了一个火雷弹，我点着了一个，猛地掷向那堆蛇人。那批蛇人还不曾见过火雷弹，居然闪也不闪。只得“轰”一声，火雷弹在那队蛇人中炸开，草皮土块也被炸得纷飞。那些蛇人好象也惊呆了，竟然动也不动，这时吴万龄也扔出了一个，又是一声响。 小号火雷弹其实说威力也并不甚大，炸出的一些瓦罐碎片、锋利的碎石虽然划破了蛇人的鳞甲，但一个蛇人也炸不死。可这些蛇人却都象吓呆了一般，也许，它们也做梦想不到我们会扔出这样发出巨响的东西。 虞代已拖着那蛇人冲了回来。那蛇人在地上还在乱动，有两个士兵跳下马，上前要绑住它，但这蛇人象长鞭一样的身子乱舞，连马匹也被它扫倒了两匹，而后来套上它的那两个绳圈也被它挣脱了，虞代套住它的绳圈在最里面，缠得很紧，已经束紧了那蛇人的皮肉，它一时也脱不掉。但这般乱动，龙鳞军的阵营中登时乱了起来。 要是这般下去，我们大概反要反胜为败了。 我正在着急，却听吴万龄叫道：“别绑它，快拖回去！” 的确，这是个好主意。蛇人的鳞甲是顺着长的，拖回城中，最多让它吃点皮肉之苦，死是死不了的。在拖动时，地上平平坦坦，那蛇人也没法子用身体缠住树桩之类。我叫道：“对，快拖回去，有火雷弹的，过来跟我一起断后！” 虞代加了一鞭，拖着那个蛇人冲回城去。虽然只有一根绳子，可这蛇人还是被拖得直直的。几个龙鳞军跟着他回去。剩下的蛇人还要追上来，我又扔出一颗火雷弹，但这回这些蛇人也没刚才那么震惊，只是稍呆了呆，却见我身后又扔出五六个火雷弹，江在轩他们的射手队也箭无虚发，先前中箭的几个蛇人身上已扎了好些箭，再追不动了，剩下的虽然也要追上来，但火雷弹的巨响和炸起的灰土将它们阻在了十几步外。 这时，吴万龄道：“统领，快走吧，蛇人要大举出来了！” 的确，在远处，刚设下的那个蛇人营中又冲出了一批蛇人来。那批人足有上千之数，我们现在还有区区一百多人，无论如何也不是它们的对手，就算这批追着薛文亦的蛇人，若不是靠火雷弹先声夺人，也肯定斗不过的。 我道：“好，快回去，别拉下一个了。” 我们拨转马头便走。先前被那蛇人扫下马来的两个龙鳞军士兵其中一个摔得有点重，晃晃悠悠地正站起来，我叫道：“快上马！” 他似乎还有点昏，那马明明就在他身边，他居然还要张望一下。这时有两个蛇人追了过来，这两个蛇人身上也满是泥土，我一把拉住那个龙鳞军士兵的手，一把将他拉上了我的马，自己在马上站了起来，喝道：“快打马！” 他的马就在离我五步远的地方。我在马背上踏了一步，手中的枪尾在马股上一点，我的马被我这一点，猛地向前冲去，我却跳离了自己的马，一下跳上那匹无主的马身上。 这动作很是冒险。听说以前军中有一个身手极矫健的人，能一下跃过五匹并排飞驰的马，我当然办不到，不过这一下还能勉为其难地做到。我一落到那匹马背上，也不等站稳，便催马冲去。 身后，有这一大队蛇人，我没有狂妄到自以为能对付这么多蛇人的地步。已经救出了那个士兵，那也不必再去恋战。 所有的龙鳞军都已返回，薛文亦坐在一个龙鳞军的马上，此时已进了城，我是队伍中最后一个了。我一冲上吊桥，便叫道：“快拉！快拉！” 蛇人追得并不快，此时离我还有二三十步，但我心有余悸，实在不敢再面对这等凶恶之极的怪物。