Chapter 14 Chapter Thirteen Game and Ending
No one in this team knew Xun Xu except Gao Tangbing, but when they saw that it was not Mi Chong who came to meet him, they already realized that something was wrong.
"Quick retreat!"
Huang Yu, who was the first to react, immediately turned the horse's head and shouted loudly.It was already too late at this time, and the troops directly under the Jing'an Division, which had been ambushing for a long time, rushed out from the back of the path and the forests on both sides, and immediately surrounded their retreat routes.
When everyone saw this situation, they all realized that there was no way they could escape today.Huang Yu held the reins tightly and said nothing, Liu Min and Lao He were so frightened that they lay on the horse's back and shivered.Although Liu Ying was pale, her expression was very resolute; she galloped to Gao Tangbing's side, looked at her sweetheart with affectionate eyes and said sadly:
"Binglang, I am willing to die with you today."
Hearing these words, Gao Tangbing showed a look of reluctance, he could only lower his head and close his eyes, his teeth bit his lips desperately, and there was a trace of blood oozing; it was not until Xun Xu uttered a cry from a distance that he was extremely reluctant He opened his eyes quickly, took a deep breath, stretched out his right arm to wrap around Liu Ying's slender waist, and with all his strength, hugged her from the horse to his side.
At first Liu Ying thought that he was going to show her intimacy at this farewell, and she was surprised and happy; but soon she realized that something was wrong, Gao Tangbing carried her and walked towards Xun Xu, while Jing on both sides walked towards Xun Xu. An Si soldier was motionless.
"Binglang, what are you doing?" Liu Ying struggled in his arms, her face paled.Gao Tangbing didn't answer, just walked forward with his head sullen.Behind him, Huang Yu, Liu Min and others didn't know what happened, they all stood there dumbfounded.
When he was in front of Xun Xu, Gao Tangbing got off his horse, held Liu Ying's hands behind his back, and bowed slightly to Xun Xu.
"You have worked hard."
Xun Xu patted him on the shoulder gratifiedly, and Gao Tangbing replied flatly: "Everything is for the revival of the Han Dynasty."
Liu Ying, who was still struggling desperately, froze all of a sudden. This simple question and answer explained everything.This shock was so sudden that Liu Ying's world completely collapsed at once. "Huang Jijiu is right. It was a trap from the beginning, and I was completely taken advantage of."
Hearing her muttering to herself, Gao Tangbing let go of his hand lightly, and said in a trembling voice, "Ying'er...I...I..."
Liu Ying had thought of countless consequences before.Happily living with my lover in the village of Wei State, continued to open a wine shop, ran around for three meals a day, and gave birth to several children for him. In his later years, I recalled that at this time, I told my children and grandchildren as nursery rhymes, and was regarded as bragging; After using it, he was executed secretly, and died with his beloved; he did not escape from Jing'an's arrest, and faced the sword to die calmly, even if he failed to fulfill his final filial piety, he must die with this stupid big man.Because Liu Ying loves him, isn't a lover the kind of person who will think about the other person no matter what, and will not betray or be selfish?At least Liu Ying thought so until the moment before she woke up.
"So what's the truth? This man has lied to me from the beginning to the end. If there is an afterlife, I'm afraid I won't trust a man again. But... until now, I hate him, but I can't stop liking him... Why? Isn't he my enemy? No, he is still my lover... He caused my father and everyone to be arrested and executed by the Shu Han as a spy. He used me and used my goodwill towards him to harm innocent people Everyone. Why am I still, still unable to hate him..."
The time around Liu Ying seemed to have never passed, and her eyes stayed on the idiot in front of her.
"Wake up, Liu Ying. You have been cheated. It was a scam from beginning to end. He never liked you. Everything is a terrible nightmare. Go and end it with your own hands... Even if everyone runs away today If you don’t get out of the net, you will let this liar die in your hands.” Liu Ying could only tell herself like this, anesthetizing herself, because she knew clearly that Gao Tangbing really came to deceive her, but this stupid guy and she were not There is no feeling of being in love.Maybe a girl should always be reserved when it comes to love, but she can't deny anything, and she doesn't want to change anything.
"Since our love can't last long, let it be etched in our hearts from now on."
Liu Ying suddenly laughed, her smile is always so beautiful, but now she can't stop the bleakness in her laughter, it makes people feel chills from the bottom of their hearts, this voice penetrates Gaotang Bing and Xun Xu even made them feel awkward.Gao Tang pondered what else he wanted to say, but Liu Ying stopped laughing.She waved her fingers, indicating that he didn't need to say anything, then threw herself into his arms, and pressed her lips heavily on Gao Tangbing's.For him, Liu Ying has always been so gentle that it makes people jealous.In the eyes of Asheer and the others, Liu Ying at this time is no different from the cute dream lover in the wine shop. This scene is so natural that people feel that it is just an ordinary couple's private meeting in the dark.Gao Tang obediently closed his eyes and let the kiss go on. He was always pragmatic and hoped that this moment could become forever...
The kissing continued, Xun Xu didn't know what to do, neither did the followers of Wu Dou Mi.Liu Min was even more embarrassed to death. At the moment when her life was at stake, her daughter was still having an affair with Xi Zuo. Could it be that she also wanted to betray her father and the congregation to join the Shu Han?No, my daughter is definitely not that kind of person.Liu Min is actually not very sure, his daughter is more like a tool to be deceived and played with to him, he has never given her more fatherly love, and his identity is doomed that his family will never be able to get a normal life.At this time, even if his daughter really turned against him, he probably wouldn't have any complaints.After a stick of incense, Liu Ying slowly left Gao Tangbing's arms, a wonderful sense of satisfaction appeared on her pale face.Xun Xu, who was closest to them, felt that something was wrong, took two steps closer, and suddenly found a delicate dagger stuck in Gao Tangbing's chest, and Liu Ying was holding the handle tightly with both hands.
This time, it can be said that there was a shocking change, and everyone present was stunned.
"Quick! Separate them!"
Xun Xu waved his hands and shouted quickly, Asheer and Liao would rush forward quickly.Liu Ying drew out the dagger with a swipe, and the two of them stopped immediately and drew out their weapons. Their faces were full of indescribable expressions, and they didn't dare to meet Liu Ying's eyes.Liu Ying looked back at Gao Tangbing affectionately, the corners of her mouth twitched, she didn't know what she said.The latter let the blood gushing from his chest but remained motionless, and the pair of eyes staring at her showed that he was still conscious.Liu Ying closed her eyes, two lines of tears flowed down her handsome face, even soaking her front.There is always a smile on the face, no more resentment.He raised the dagger high and inserted it into his chest with a "poof", and his delicate body fell to the ground.Didn't look at his father or anyone else.
"Firefly!"
Seeing her daughter committing suicide in the distance, Liu Min couldn't help crying loudly on the horse.He is definitely not feeling well at the moment, and it may even be much more sad than the general pain of bereavement, but can this change the result?
Asher and Liao Hui rushed to Gao Tangbing.Liao Hui tore off a piece of cloth from his clothes to cover the blood gurgling from his chest, and Asher hurriedly took out the wound medicine for hemostasis from his bosom, and poured a bottle of it on Gaotang Bing's chest.Until then, Gao Tang Bing slowly closed his eyes, as if relieved of a heavy responsibility...
Xun Xu held his breath and asked, "How is the injury?"
Asher replied with a teary voice: "I'm afraid it's hopeless..."
Xun Xu looked at Gao Tangbing who had fallen into a coma, and closed his eyes sadly, hating himself for not separating the two of them earlier.He turned his head to look at Liu Ying again, and Ma Zhong squatted beside her, shaking his head at Xun Xu, indicating that she had passed away.
"You three, stay and watch over Gao Tangbing." Xun Xu clenched his fists, gave them an order in a low voice, then turned and walked away.Now is not the time to grieve, there are more important official duties to be dealt with right now, Xun Xu believes that only by finishing this matter perfectly can he be worthy of Gao Tangbing's sacrifice.
At this moment, the few remaining Wudoumi believers had all been controlled by Jing Ansi. Those believers knew that they were in a desperate situation, so they simply did not resist.The soldiers tied them up one by one and lined them up in a row.Xun Xu paced around and looked at each of them. Liu Min was already crying badly; Huang Yu looked up to the sky with a rebellious expression;
Xun Xu went back and forth twice, finally stood in front of Huang Yu, and asked sharply:
"That man named Mi Chong, where is he?"
Huang Yu was taken aback when he heard the words, then immediately sank his face, and spat on the ground, pretending he didn't hear Xun Xu's question.
Xun Xu was also stunned.Although Huang Yu did not speak, his expression did not escape Xun Xu's observation: Huang Yu had no knowledge of Mi Chong's disappearance.
After Gao Tangbing left Liuji Winery yesterday, he immediately rushed back to the Jing'an Department to report the details of the operation: Huang Yu and others planned to rob the craftsmen at Canshang Cliff on March 6th, and then meet Mi Chong at Baoqin Crossing, and fled to Wei Jing.Xun Xu was overjoyed, and he immediately instructed Jing'an Division to fully cooperate with Gao Tangbing.This morning, Xun Xu transferred a batch of horses from the treasury to Gao Tangbing, and secretly relaxed Jing'an Division's inspection of Nanzheng City, so that Huang Yu and others could sneak out of the city smoothly.Next, Xun Xu personally led a large group of people to ambush Baoqin Road, intending to catch them all.As a result, Huang Yu and others appeared as scheduled, but Mi Chong never showed up.
"Could it be that he sensed our ambush and ran away first?"
It is not impossible for an annoying thought to enter Xun Xu's mind. Mi Chong's ability cannot be underestimated.Thinking of this, Xun Xu knelt down and grabbed a piece of grass casually, feeling frustrated and relieved at the same time.Frustrated, he was defeated by this man twice; gratified, he finally let Mi Chong get nothing, and the craftsman he wanted was successfully intercepted by Jing Ansi.
At this moment, there was a rush of horseshoes in the distance.Xun Xu saw a white horse galloping towards him. There were three red flags on the rider's back. This was the emblem of Jing'an's envoy, and the three red flags meant "urgent".
The knight galloped all the way to Xun Xu's body, and then hurriedly pulled the reins.He got off his horse and handed a letter to Xun Xu.
"Master Xun! Commander Pei urgently reports!"
Xun Xu hurriedly tore open the letter paper, and there was only one line scrawled on it: "Military Technician was stolen, the blueprint was lost, return quickly." Almost fainted on the spot.
Completely fooled... It seems that Gao Tangbing's disguise did not escape Mi Chong's eyes at all.This terrifying man used all his tricks, making Jing'an Division mistakenly think that his target was the artisans of the Sixth Crossbow Workshop; in fact, the plan to hijack the artisans was just a smokescreen to attract Xun Xu's attention, and his real target was the lax guard of the Military Technology Division.Even Huang Yu, Liu Min's father and daughter and other Wudoumi believers were kept in the dark by him and became a few abandoned children in his hands.
"This... is really..."
Realizing that he was completely defeated, Xun Xu had no time to think, he hurriedly explained a few words to his subordinates, and then rushed back to the "Taoist Temple" alone in a hurry.On the way back to the city, he kept thinking: This Mi Chong is so powerful that he can manipulate the entire Jing'an Division in his own hands, repeatedly taking the lead; what is his ability? Boundless, or does it mean that there are mice in the Shu army to assist him...
But no matter what, the blueprint has been stolen now, and all the hard work of Jing'an Division in the past has been in vain.When Xun Xu thought of this, he felt extremely depressed, so he could only whip his mount desperately, trying to relieve the depression in his heart by running wildly.
When he arrived at the "Taoist Temple", he saw two people standing at the door.One is Pei Xu from the Jingan Division, and the other is Qiao Jun from the Military Technical Division—this technocrat who once boasted that the Military Technical Division has the most complete security measures has aged a lot, like the fallen leaves under a plane tree in autumn. trembling.
"what happened?!"
Xun Xu didn't care about politeness, so he got off his horse, took a look at Qiao Jun, and asked Pei Xu directly.Pei Xu told him that this morning, the Military Technical Division had routinely cleaned the interior of the cave where the bureau was located, and opened three exhaust channels for ventilation.
"A change of breath?"
"Yes, because the Military Technician is placed in a cave, the wind must be blown for two hours every three days. The cave of the Military Technician has three natural stone cave passages connecting with the outside world, and the inside is usually filled with stone pellets. .When the cave needs to be ventilated, it will move the stone pills away from the open air passage.”
"Then Mi Chong took this opportunity to sneak into the Military Technical Division through one of the passages and stole the blueprint?"
Xun Xu said, Pei Xu nodded sadly.At this time, Qiao Jun muttered in disbelief: "Those three passages are each a hundred steps long, and the insides are of different widths, rugged and curved, and the inner walls are full of jagged rocks. How could an ordinary person Climb in and out..."
"He is not an ordinary person..." Xun Xu corrected his mistake coldly.
Pei Xu continued: "At present, the lost blueprints are confirmed to be the two designs of 'Shudu' and 'Yuanrong'. These two blueprints were just reviewed by Prime Minister Zhuge yesterday, so they were put together separately and were not archived immediately. , which resulted in such trouble.”
Xun Xu nodded, he had already anticipated all this when he received Pei Xu's urgent report.
Worst outcome.
"Qiao engaged, isn't there a single person next to the drawing at that time?"
Qiao Jun shook his head numbly: "Half of the guards have been transferred out to participate in the blockade of Nanzheng, and the remaining half...But who would have thought that someone would crawl in through the vent and take away the blueprint..."
"What should we do now?" Pei Xu asked.Seeing Xun Xu's face covered in dust, he hooked his hands and asked the soldier next to him to bring a towel immediately.Xun Xu thanked, took the towel soaked in cold water with his hand and rubbed his face desperately, trying to calm himself down.
"We haven't lost yet... Now the Five Dou Rice Sect has completely collapsed. Without their assistance, it would be impossible for Mi Chong to gain a foothold in Nanzheng City alone, nor would it be possible to break through our army's blockade and travel long distances from Nanzheng to return to the State of Wei. The territory." Xun Xu said here, paused, handed the towel back to Pei Xu, picked up the porcelain bowl and drank a big sip of water, and then said: "He can only find the mouse hiding inside our army. Assistance is his only option."
"Who is that mouse?" Pei Xu asked nervously.Xun Xu shook his head: "I don't know." He looked up at the sky, put down the porcelain bowl and hurried on the horse again.Pei Xu was taken aback, and quickly asked, "Where are you going?"
"Ask those who have been betrayed. This is our only hope."
Xun Xu immediately turned his head and answered wearily, then put his legs on the horse's belly and walked away.After Pei Xu watched his figure completely disappear, he helped Qiao Jun back to the "Taoist Temple". He still had a lot to do to deal with the aftermath.
At this time, the sun was already in the west, and Xun Xu rode his horse and galloped towards Baoqin Valley by himself.The people from the Jing'an Department should be escorting Huang Yu and other Wudoumi believers back to the "Taoist Temple". He hoped to intercept them halfway, the sooner the better.
By the time the sun had completely sunk into the western horizon, darkness had completely enveloped the land of Hanzhong.Xun Xu was lucky enough to run into a team escorting Wu Dou Mi Cultists who had just turned onto the main road.They lit torches, so they were more visible in the dark than at dusk.
Xun Xu rushed to the team and ordered them to stop.By the light of the fire, he saw Asheer standing at the front of the line, and behind him was a stretcher made of branches and covered with soft grass. Gao Tangbing lay motionless on it, covered with a Liao behind him was another stretcher, and the person on it covered his face with a cloth, which seemed to be a woman from the figure; while Huang Yu, Liu Min, Lao He and others were detained in the rear of the line, Each of them is tied up, surrounded by dozens of soldiers.
"How is Gao Tangbing now?"
Xun Xu asked in surprise, he thought Gao Tangbing had died in the line of duty.Asher replied half happily and half sadly: "Fortunately, the woman missed the heart and avoided the heart; we have already bandaged his wound. It seems that there is still breathing, but it is very weak, I don't know." Can you make it to Nanzheng?"
This news somewhat eased Xun Xu's mood.He didn't bother to say more, and drove straight to Huang Yu.Although Huang Yu's hands were bound, he still had a haughty look on his face and ignored Xun Xu.
Xun Xu knew that a frontal attack could not pry this man's mouth open, the only way was to create a crack in his heart.Xun Xu stood in front of him and began to speak to Huang Yu in a flat tone, as if talking to an old friend.
"I know that Mi Chong has brought the talisman order of your master Zhang Fu, asking you to assist him with all your strength."
Huang preliminarily ignored him.
"I guess what he promised you is that after the Wei army destroys Shu, he will give you the freedom to preach the Five Dou Rice Sect, right?"
"Humph."
"So you mobilized all the believers and used all resources to help him, so that he fell into today's situation."
"Pooh!"
"It's daytime today." Xun Xu changed his tone and raised his voice slightly, "The Military Technical Division of the Shu Army was stolen, and two blueprints involving military secrets were stolen."
"That's great." Huang Yu replied coldly.
Xun Xu was not angry, but continued: "After investigation, there is sufficient evidence to show that this was done by your friend Mi Chong."
When Huang Yu heard this sentence, his eyes widened suddenly, and he suddenly thought of something.Xun Xu smiled slightly, and said what was in his heart for him: "Your friend Mi Chong used you as bait to lure the enemy, attracted our attention, and then went to the military technical department where the defense was empty, and got what he wanted .”
Huang Yu fell into silence again, but this time the silence was different from just now.
"You paid the price with human lives." Xun Xu glanced at Liu Ying's body, "and the entire living space of Wudou Mijiao in Hanzhong, but the result was betrayal. Now Wei Guo got what they wanted, They can go back to celebrate, contented, and what have you got? Huh?"
"Hmph, it's all shameless slander and rumors..."
"We have been ambushing on Baoqin Road since the early morning and waited until you showed up. No one showed up. Why? Mi Chong didn't plan to join you at all. He knew that Gao Tangbing was an undercover agent, but he didn't say anything. He lied to me. If you pass us, you will also be deceived."
"..."
"I believe he didn't frame you on purpose, he didn't have to. To Michong, you are just pawns, pick them up when you use them, throw them away when you don't use them, that's all."
Hearing Xun Xu's words, Huang Yu's eyes were bloodshot. Xun Xu patted him on the shoulder sympathetically, and added the final blow: "Now you are facing capital punishment, and he is planning to return to Wei. This is Everything you get in exchange for your trust."
"Woo..." Huang Xi bent down with a distorted expression, and moaned in extreme pain.This is not because of Xun Xu's eloquence, but because of Xun Xu's confirmation of the doubts he has always harbored.
When Mi Chong proposed a plan to act separately, Huang Yu had some doubts in his mind, because he couldn't see any reason to act separately.But Mi Chong insisted on doing so, out of trust, Huang Yu did not insist.Looking back now, that was already the beginning of betrayal.
A gust of cold night wind blew by, and there were several shrill crows in the dark forest in the distance.The man who devoted himself to rebuilding the Five Dou of Rice Sect squatted slowly on the ground, buried his head between his legs and choked up.It was just a small whimper at first, then it became louder and louder, and finally it became a howl.This made everyone present feel a little sympathetic.
Xun Xu also knelt down, looked at this man with pity, and whispered in his ear:
"Let's make a deal. You tell me Mi Chong's possible hiding place, and I will promise not to hunt down your remaining Wudoumi Cultists." Xun Xu also emphasized every word, "In addition to Mi Chong's one Life."
When Huang Yu heard these words, he squatted on the ground and did not make a sound.After a long time, he raised his head and took a deep breath, buried his head between his legs again, and uttered two vague words dejectedly:
"Candle Dragon."
"What? What did you say?" Xun Xu couldn't hear clearly, so he hastily turned his ear to listen.
"Zhulong, Mi Chong will definitely look for him. He is a senior official of your Nanzheng, and he has been helping us."
"Do you know his name and position? His looks are okay too?" Xun Xu tried his best to suppress the excitement in his heart.
"I... I don't remember..." Huang Yu raised his head and looked around in confusion, his eyes lost a trace of vitality, "I only saw him once in Shenxiangou, and when they met, I was letting the wind go and didn't look at him. to his face."
"Shenxiangou?"
"Yes, that seems to be one of the places where they met."
Huang Yu said weakly, stretched out an arm and pointed to the distance, Xun Xu looked in that direction along his fingers, but could only see a piece of night like ink...
On the extension line beyond Xun Xu's line of sight, Mi Chong is waiting quietly in the darkness of Shenxiangou.
He didn't wait for long, and soon there was a sound of leisurely footsteps from the periphery of the ruins, and then Zhulong came out from the darkness.The two people simply arched their hands when they met, and Zhulong asked straight to the point:
"Is everything done?"
"Everything is going according to plan."
"Where are the drawings now?"
"It has been sent to the relay point together with the information about Zhuge Liang's attack on Wudu and Yinping, and it should have set off now."
"Very good." Zhulong showed a gratified smile, "You did a very good job this time."
"God bless me, Da Wei." Mi Chong replied simply, his expression didn't look very excited, as if he had just completed a simple routine task.The coarse green clothes on his body were covered with dust and white scratches, and there were several worn marks, which were obviously a memorial left in the ventilation duct of the Military Technician Division.Mi Chong said:
"At that time, when I missed the general affairs, I thought there was no hope. Fortunately, Your Excellency adjusted the strategy in time."
"Hehe, it's a pity for Huang Yu, but these sacrifices are necessary for His Majesty the Emperor."
"Well."
Zhulong walked up to Mi Chong, looked at the dark clouds covering the moonlight and starlight in the sky, and said with emotion: "Your mission in Hanzhong is almost over, and I will arrange to send you home now. The action is over."
Mi Chong let out a "huh", and his expressionless face relaxed a little.It has been fourteen days since he entered the territory of Shu on February 20th. The scheduled mission has been completed, and it is time to evacuate.
Zhulong patted Mi Chong on the shoulder, signaling to take him to make the final preparations for the retreat, so the two walked side by side towards the outside of the ruins.Zhulong walked and said to Mi Chong: "Your retreat route is from the east side of Nanzheng along the Mianshui River, through Chenggu and Yangxian counties to Anyang, where someone will pick you up and return to Weixing County. Then you can go to Langya , Yingchuan, or anywhere you want to spend a few months of vacation in peace." Hearing this, Mi Chong smiled and said nothing.
When the two walked around a half-collapsed brick wall, Zhulong suddenly slowed down.He quietly took out a special bronze dagger from his pocket, strangled the unsuspecting Mi Chong from behind, and cut his throat neatly.Mi Chong struggled a few times, but stopped moving.Only then did Zhulong slowly put Mi Chong's body down on the ground, with his back facing up.
"Sorry, this is General Guo's last instruction."
Zhulong put the dagger back into his arms, said a few words to Mi Chong's body, turned and left, and quickly disappeared into the darkness.
Half an hour later, Xun Xu arrived at Shenxiangou with a group of soldiers.He ordered the soldiers to guard the various exits of the basin, and then personally led five or six elite soldiers into the ruins of the barracks in the ditch to search.
"Isn't it too late this time?"
Looking at the ruins in front of him, Xun Xu thought to himself.The ruins looked extraordinarily desolate and dead under the rendering of the black night, and the empty silence permeated every corner, and it didn't seem like there was a trace of human breath inside.
Suddenly, he smelled a bloody smell in his nose.Xun Xu immediately erected the spines all over his body like a hedgehog, and put himself on high alert.He and a few of his men walked around the ruins cautiously following the smell.The smell of blood became stronger and stronger, and finally they found Mi Chong's body beside a wall.
The corpse was originally in a prone position, but when Xun Xu turned it over, he found a deep wound on the throat of the corpse.The deceased's trachea was severed, and the ground and the front neck of the deceased were stained with a large amount of solidified dark red blood.Judging from the degree of blood coagulation, the deceased should have died not long ago.
Xun Xu asked someone to bring a lantern over and shine it on the face of the corpse.The expression of the deceased was still as shocked as the moment before he died. Xun Xu had never seen this face before.Xun Xu looked the corpse up and down, leaned down, and asked the soldiers next to him to lower the lantern.He noticed that the clothes of the deceased were a bit strange, and there were several eye-catching gray and white scratches on the arms and back.Xun Xu pinched some fine powder from the scratches with his thumb and forefinger, rubbed it gently with his fingertips, and finally came to a conclusion:
The deceased was Mi Chong.Those powders are the unique stone quality of Military Technician's cave, and the only person who can get this kind of scratch powder on his body is Mi Chong who climbed in through the vent today and stole the blueprints.
This conclusion made Xun Xu feel as if he was struck by lightning, and he wanted to punch the corpse for a moment, so as to vent the extreme anger in his heart.After working so hard, he finally had the chance to get close to this spy again, but he didn't expect to be escaped by this person again, and escaped forever.
If this is Mi Chong, then the person who killed him can only be Zhulong.Thinking of this, Xun Xu hurriedly searched Mi Chong's clothes, but there was nothing inside except a few stalks of barley.
There is no doubt that the blueprint has been sent out by Mi Chong, and then he was killed by Zhulong who lost his value, so as not to be arrested on the way back and reveal Zhulong's true identity.The cold-blooded tactics of Wei State's intelligence department made Xun Xu shudder.
Xun Xu stood up from the corpse in frustration, with a dazed expression.He has been working hard to move towards the truth, but in the end he missed the last step.The dead body lay motionless on the ground, as if mocking his incompetence.Xun Xu kicked Mi Chong violently with his foot in frustration, and when he was about to kick a second time, an idea popped up in his mind.
"Highland barley and wheat ears?"
When he saw the stalks of highland barley on the corpse, he couldn't help shouting "ah", which startled the surrounding soldiers.
Traditionally, the feed used by the Shu Han for war horses and animal power transportation mainly consisted of oats, black beans, wheat straw and variegated weeds.Among them, oats and black beans are mainly used for war horses and animal power during duty, and the latter two are the main rations for daily rearing of livestock.However, when the Shu army took military action in the area near Liangzhou in the northwest of Hanzhong, considering the local climate and environment, the Shu army would specially ration highland barley fodder to the cavalry troops to ensure their combat effectiveness.
Hanzhong does not produce highland barley locally, but in order to keep the taste of war horses, the Shu army also set up several special fodder farms to hoard highland barley grains.These reserves were used for adaptive training of war horses in peacetime; and once a war broke out in Liangzhou or the area near the Qiang border in the northwest of Hanzhong, these grains were transported to the front line as the early supplies of the Shu army.
In other words, the ears of barley and wheat on Mi Chong's body could only come from one place, which was the special forage field of the Shu army.At present, Prime Minister Zhuge is planning to use troops in the northwestern region of Hanzhong. The highland barley from these special forage fields will be transported to the border area between Wei and Shu first together with the vanguard of the Shu army.
Xun Xu seemed to see another ray of light in the darkness.He guessed that the purpose of Mi Chong's trip to the special forage field must be to hand over the blueprints, and then another person would carry the blueprints and follow the convoy transporting highland barley to the front line, and then sneak back to Wei State.This plan is perfect, the bearer of the blueprint can swagger through the territory of Shu to the border area without any obstruction-who will intercept the military supply troops for inspection?
Thinking of this, Xun Xu jumped up all of a sudden, ignoring the soreness in his legs caused by riding a horse for a long time, and ordered everyone to leave Shenxiangou immediately except for two people who were left to guard Mi Chong's body , rushed to the special forage field.
The Shu army set up three highland barley fodder fields near Nanzheng. Xun Xu sent four "Taoist priests" from the Jing'an Division to two of them, while he went straight to the largest highland barley fodder field.
This is Jing'an Division's last chance to intercept the drawings.
It was almost midnight at this time, and the main road near Nanzheng was pitch black, and the only sound on the empty road was Jing'an's rushing hooves and knights' shouts.People can't help but sympathize with these people who have been exhausted for a whole day.Shenxiangou is on the west side of Nanzheng, Baoqin Road is on the east side of Nanzheng, and the Anti-epidemic Museum is on the north side of Nanzheng, and this forage field is located in the south of Nanzheng. Today Xun Xu can be said to have circled around the center of Hanzhong for a large area. lock up.
When Xun Xu arrived at the gate of the hayyard, his heart sank suddenly.The dozens of tall grain stacks in the forage yard disappeared, and the two gates were left open. The road in front of the gates was dotted with horse manure and grains of wheat ears, as well as criss-crossing and chaotic rut marks.
Obviously, the convoy transporting highland barley has already set off.
Xun Xu rushed into the guard room of the forage yard, shook the two sleeping old soldiers inside, and asked them where the forage had been sent.One of the old soldiers rubbed his sleepy eyes, and replied: "I set out yesterday afternoon, and I'm afraid I have reached the boundary of Mian County by now."
"Fortunately, it's not too late..." Xun Xu felt relieved, Mian County is not too far away from Nanzheng, if he hurried over, he could catch up.
But the tricky thing is that the forage field is a military unit. If you stop the supply convoy without notifying the military's logistics department in advance, you may be charged with beheading.Xun Xu knew that it would not be easy to get the military to approve this matter, but now he had to bite the bullet.
So Xun Xu left the forage field and went straight back to Nanzheng.The prime minister's mansion had officials on duty day and night, and if he was lucky enough to get approval from them, Xun Xu could go to Lueyang overnight to inspect the supply convoy and prevent the drawings from leaving the country.
Liangtian Cao was on duty today with a young official in his twenties. When Xun Xu arrived, he was dozing off boredly holding a copy of "Spring and Autumn".When the young official heard Xun Xu's identity report, his face showed half fear and half hesitation. The fear was because the other party was much higher in rank than himself, and the hesitation was because the military and Jing'an were in the same boat.
"May I ask what you want?" the young official asked cautiously, while searching for brushes on the case with both hands.
Xun Xu shouted out of breath, "We suspect that important blueprints were carried in the supply convoy from the highland barley forage field at noon yesterday. We hope that Gui Cao can issue a transfer order for them to return to Nanzheng for inspection as soon as possible."
"Oh, this is a big deal!"
"Yes, yes, as long as you understand." Seeing the surprised expression of the young officials, Xun Xu felt that there should be hope.The young official spread out a piece of hemp paper, picked up a brush and asked:
"Which car is that, or who is suspected of carrying the blueprint?"
Xun Xu was stunned for a moment, and then replied: "It's not clear yet, so I hope that the entire convoy can return, so as not to miss anything."
Hearing this, the young official put down the brush and made a powerless gesture: "Xun Zong, I'm really sorry, I don't have the authority to transfer the entire convoy back. You know, this convoy is our army's first starter." The grain team is related to whether our army's strategic deployment can be carried out smoothly. If you want the entire convoy to return, you must have at least two signatures from Prime Minister Zhuge, Wei Yan or General Chen Shi."
Xun Xu shouted impatiently: "It's too late, this matter must be carried out immediately!" Prime Minister Zhuge and Chen Shi are not in Nanzheng at present, and it is more difficult to get Wei Yan's permission than to let the Shu army attack Luoyang.
"It's not up to a villain to decide, or I'll ask General Wei Yan for your instructions tomorrow morning?"
"This is related to whether our army's military secrets have been leaked!"
"But this is also related to the success or failure of our army's military operation." The young official responded softly, with his hands folded on his chest, obviously not negotiable.
"Zhulong or Michong are really scary guys..." Xun Xu wanted to curse secretly, "They figured out that no one would dare to intercept this supply troop, so they safely put the blueprints in it."
The timely delivery of grain and grass is an important cornerstone of winning the entire battle, especially for the Shu army who is going to fight across the Qinling Mountains, supplies are crucial.因此蜀军历来极为重视粮草的运输问题，法令也相当严峻，即使迟到一日，押粮官也会被以“延误军事”的罪名处以军法。像这种要求整支先发补给部队返回的举动，就等于推迟了整个战役的发起时间，就算荀诩有十个脑袋也都砍光了。
更何况荀诩除了手里的青稞麦穗以外，没有其他任何确凿证据。
“没有别的解决办法吗？”
“最起码，您要有杨参军与魏将军的批准。他们明天一早就会上班。”
“好吧，我等。”
不甘心的荀诩立刻要来纸笔，写了一份措辞严厉的申请书。到了早上，粮田曹的主管刚刚上班就被这个急得发疯的靖安司从事拦住；这名主管也不敢做主，于是就把荀诩的申请同时上呈给了杨仪与魏延两个人。
申请书递上去以后，荀诩心急如焚地在粮田曹里转来转去；有好心的小吏给他送来一碗肉羹做早点，他也不吃，只是神经质似的望着门外。现在每耽搁一个时辰，补给车队就向着西北开进数十里，图纸被送去魏境的可能性也就多了几分。这是他最后的最后的机会，十几天的艰苦调查已经到了这一步，荀诩不希望在快要迈到终点的时候被人截住。
一直到了中午，负责传送文书的书吏才匆忙地跑回来。荀诩甚至没等粮田曹主管接过文书，就一把抢过来撕开看。
荀诩尽管早就预料到了文书的结果，但当他亲眼见到时还是脸色煞白，强烈的挫折感让他几乎站立不住。
这一次杨仪魏延两个人的意见倒是难得的一致：杨仪批示说前线补给本来就很紧张，不能为一件未经确认的怀疑就妨害整个补给线的运作；而魏延的批示比荀诩的措词还要严厉，不仅一口拒绝了他的请求，而且指责荀诩糟糕的工作是导致军技司失窃的主要原因。
最后一扇大门在荀诩眼前轰然关闭了。
荀诩一言不发地把公文揉成一团丢进桶里，然后推开了站在一旁的粮田曹主管，精神恍惚地离开了粮田曹。屋外阳光明媚无比，他浑然不觉，只是失魂落魄地走在路上，喃喃地念着两个字给自己听。
lost.
即使他成功地在总务阻止了敌人的阴谋；即使他成功地瓦解了汉中的五斗米教网络；即使他成功地抓出了企图潜逃的弩机工匠；即使他最终间接促成了糜冲的死亡，仍旧是完败。图纸的泄露让这一切胜利变得毫无意义。他还是倒在了距离胜利最近的地方。
一股失望与失落的情绪从荀诩心里流淌出来，逐渐延伸到四肢百骸，让他忽然之间感觉到疲惫像山一样压下来。不仅是那种连续奔波数日的肉体上的疲惫，更是心理上源自于挫折感与郁闷的心力交瘁。
荀诩拖着沉重的步伐返回“道观”，对所有凑上来问候的同事与部属都没有理睬，径直返回了自己的屋子，把门重重地关上。
“道观”外面的阳光依然明媚，太阳金黄色的温暖光线普照南郑城，普照整个汉中，也毫无偏颇地普照着秦岭以北的陇西大地……
建兴七年三月七日，蜀汉司闻曹靖安司阻止弩机技术流失的行动宣告失败；自二月二十四日立项开始到失败，一共是十一天。