Chapter 147 Chapter Fifteen

Chapter 15 of the fifth part of the vertical and horizontal struggle is also gratifying In the first year of Longsheng, Wuyin, on March 14th, general Jing Chi led 30,000 cavalry troops, and 40,000 Zhenzhou troops crossed Taihang Baixing. It was very urgent to attack Huguan. The guard Liu Wanli urgently reported to Jinyang and Qinzhou. On the twenty-fifth day, the city of Huguan was broken, and Jing Chi led his army to Qinyuan. ——"Zi Zhi Tong Jian".Yongji III The sun was covered by clouds, the sky was gloomy, as if it might rain at any moment, more than a hundred knights galloped on the official road, the sound of horseshoes was like thunder, the faces of all the knights on horseback were as sinking as water, and the black battle robes were covered with dust. It looked a bit embarrassed, and the young steed guarded by these knights was very handsome, but there were two people sitting on it, Jiang Zhe and Li Shun.He ran for sixty or seventy miles in one breath without stopping, Jiang Zhe was not good at riding, so in order to speed up the journey, Xiao Shunzi rode with him. , but it is full of spirit.On both sides of the official road, the grass was deep and the forest was dense. Xiao Shunzi carefully supported Jiang Zhe while paying attention to the movement around him. He had to be very careful when the army was defeated and fled, and he was in the enemy's territory. There was a slight sound of horseshoes and grass being brushed past, Xiao Shunzi raised his right hand, and more than a hundred horses stopped at the same time, silently, as expected of one of Dayong's most elite troops.Not long after, Su Qing came out through the forest on a black horse. She greeted the crowd and said loudly: "My lord, I have found a place to stay for tonight. There is an unnamed village ten miles through the forest. It is very far away from the official road." It is far away and very secluded. I walked around the outside and saw almost no traces of people and cooking smoke. The villagers inside should have escaped from the war a long time ago. Even if there are still people who have not left, we can catch them all with our strength. I didn't go in and check."

I said tiredly: "As soon as our army arrived in Anze, we began to attack the city, and we haven't cleared the fields yet. However, the news from the Ji family came that the civilians in this area either fled or hid in Anze. There is no one in this village. Strange, but you still have to be careful, and surround the village for a while. If there are still people inside, lock them together. Be careful, everyone. It will take at least a few days for our army to regroup after its initial defeat. If the Northern Han army If you have enough energy, you will definitely search the four villages and hunt down our soldiers who have been singled out. These days are the most dangerous, and this hiding place must be carefully guarded against leaks."

Hu Yanshou immediately stepped forward and said: "My lord, don't worry, General Su will lead the way. We will surround Zhuangzi first, and then search from house to house, so that no one will slip through the net." I nodded slightly, they would never miss such a thing. A small village, not to mention that there may be no people, even if it has a hundred or eighty people, it can be easily wiped out for them.Hu Yanshou left a few guards to follow and protect Xiao Shunzi and me. They rushed over first. I thought there would be no problem, so I asked Xiao Shunzi to slow down and move forward slowly.The road in the forest is rough and you can't gallop on it. The withered grass on both sides of the trail almost covers the road.It can be seen that this is a village where few people come and go on weekdays. If it was not for escaping from the Yong army, I am afraid that the villagers there would not have escaped. , It hurts Tianhe.

After walking for a while, the road in front of me suddenly widened and became much smoother, exposing the smooth soil surface. This should be a place where the villagers often come and go. I looked forward and found that I had reached the edge of the dense forest. Shunzi urged the horse to whip, and rode out of the woods.I just feel that my eyes light up, and I suddenly see the light.Behind the dense forest is a low-lying valley. In the center of the valley, there is a small lake with a radius of several acres. The lake water is crystal clear, and the lake is steaming. I can feel that this place is much warmer than other places. Presumably this lake is a hot spring. Converged.

There are more than 30 families scattered by the lake, scattered in a well-organized manner, and the houses are criss-crossed, with a faint air of tranquility.Thinking about it, if it was a peaceful era, it must be a paradise where chickens and dogs hear each other, and never communicate with each other until old age and death.It's just that now it has become a battlefield for killing.More than forty tiger guards surrounded the whole village, but in front of one of the farmhouses, there was the sound of shouting and fighting. When I met my opponent in the small village, my curiosity swelled up, and I quickly signaled Xiao Shunzi to go over quickly. Xiao Shunzi was probably worried that something had gone wrong, so I rode my horse and arrived in front of the farm in a short while.

This farmhouse covers an area of ​​half an acre. There are three main rooms and three side rooms on each side. The houses are all built of bluestone, very spacious and bright. The fences around the farmhouse are sparse. There are two ridges of chrysanthemums, which shows that the owner here is not an ordinary farmer.Although the weather is still cold, it may be due to the high temperature here due to the hot spring lake water. The green vegetables have broken the ground, and the chrysanthemums have already had green leaves.At this moment, two tiger guards in the courtyard were joining forces to fight a young farmer. Hu Yanshou stood at the gate of the courtyard with his hands behind his back, and more than a dozen tiger guards surrounded the farmhouse tightly.Seeing me parked outside the gate of the courtyard, Hu Yanshou hurried over and reported: "My lord, the village has been cleaned up, and the villagers here must have left long ago. Only this house is occupied by a single person. Master."

I nodded and looked carefully, and saw that the farmer was about twenty-eight or nineteen years old, with a handsome appearance, a straight nose, a square mouth, and a handsome figure. He was not an ordinary person at first sight. With a single sword in his hand, he was able to block the two tiger-legged guards with ease, but his face was a little pale, obviously seeing that the situation was critical. Seeing this situation, Xiao Shunzi frowned and said, "Why don't people go in through the window, attack from front to back, and quickly restrain the people, the young master still needs to rest."

Hu Yanshou said embarrassingly: "This subordinate sees that this farmhouse has the most open layout and elegant scenery in the whole village. Originally, I wanted to invite the young master to rest here, so I didn't want to destroy the house." With a thought in my heart, this farmhouse is really quiet, thanks to Hu Yanshou's thoughtfulness, at this time Hu Yanshou probably saw that Xiao Shunzi's face was not looking good, so he hurriedly said: "My lord, wait a moment, this subordinate will do it himself." Then he took a few steps back, turned around, drew his sword and walked towards the door of the main room. His demeanor was calm, and the farmer's eyes flashed with despair, and the moves in his hands were a little scattered.Hu Yanshou is indeed one of the best masters among the Tiger Guards. His saber skills are fierce and fierce, and he pushed the farmer to the limit. After a few moves, the farmer was already out of breath, probably exhausted from fighting for a long time, and the farmer stumbled and fell down. On the ground, Hu Yanshou slashed at the farmer. If such a master was kept, he was afraid that there would be troubles, so he was relentless and decided to cut the weeds and root them out.

At this time, someone in the house shouted loudly: "Keep people under the sword!" Hu Yanshou originally expected that there might be someone in the house, otherwise the farmer would not stick to the main house, but the man's voice was calm and majestic, which made Hu Yanshou's heart move, and the cross in his hand The knife stopped suddenly, and the edge of the blade stopped on the farmer's neck. The farmer had already closed his eyes, but he realized that the blade had stopped. Although the cold was blowing, he didn't seem to see blood. He opened his eyes and stared blankly. Looking at Hu Yanshou.

At this time, the door was pushed open, and an old man in a gray shirt stood in front of the door. He looked haggard, almost skinny, and leaned on a cane in his hand. He looked about fifty or sixty years old, but this man Although he looked terminally ill, his expression and demeanor were outstanding, quite like a master. Hu Yanshou looked at the old man coldly, and said sharply: "Who are you? Tell me about it in the history, if you hide anything, don't blame me for being ruthless." The old man smiled indifferently, but his eyes fell on the green steed outside the courtyard gate surrounded by several guards. A scribe in a blue cloak was riding on the horse, with a slightly tired expression on his face. His face is gray and pale, and he seems to be very old, but looking at his face, he is delicate and elegant, and his face is as white as jade. This kind of contradictory image makes him reveal an inexplicable temperament around him. There is also a young man in Tsing Yi with a face like snow , with an ice-like expression, he held the rein of the horse and stood aside, but his demeanor was solemn and solemn, although his expression was respectful, he was not like an ordinary servant.

The old man sighed and said: "You must be the nobles of Da Yong, why make things difficult for us rural people, the boy resisted the generals because of your aggressiveness, please forgive me." The young farmer said loudly: "If you want to kill, just kill me. Uncle is old and has been bedridden for many years. You can't kill innocent people indiscriminately, right?" Hu Yanshou threw the horizontal knife in his hand forward, the young man felt a sharp pain in his throat, Hu Yanshou said coldly: "I don't ask you much." The young man's eyes were burning with anger, but he could only keep silent.Hu Yanshou looked at the old man again, and said solemnly: "Name, origin? I don't want to ask again." The old man shook his head slightly, and said: "Old man Ji Xuan, the general must have never heard of it." I was exhausted when I heard Ji Xuan's name, my expression lifted, and I said in a loud voice: "Ji Xuan, Ji Zicheng, before the founding of the Northern Han Dynasty, was the chief historian of the Taiyuan Commander Liu Shengzhang. Liu Sheng has always been trustworthy, after Liu Sheng established the country, Ji Xuan was dissatisfied with Liu Sheng's disobedience, so he hung the crown and left, which made Liu Sheng feel very sad, so he must be Mr. With a deep bow, he said: "I am a late student of Jiang Zhe, and I pay my respects to Mr. Ji. I have heard that Mr. Ji is a late student with profound knowledge and integrity. I am lucky to see you today." After saying these words, a look of surprise flashed in the eyes of the young farmer who fell on the ground, but he was held to his throat with a knife and dared not speak out.A deep light flashed in Ji Xuan's eyes, and he said: "It turns out that he is the number one scholar in Southern Chu, Concubine of Dayong, Hou Jiangzhe of Chu Township, although the old man lives in seclusion in the village, I also heard that Lord Hou is famous, but I never thought that Lord Hou would condescend to come here." When I heard his tone, I thought it was not kind. This Ji Xuan only saw that he left with the crown because he was dissatisfied with Liu Shengli in the past. It can be seen that he is a person who abides by the way of loyalty. Since Dayong married Princess Changle as his wife, this Ji Xuan must treat me as a traitor. I think if it wasn't for the young man's life, this old gentleman would still ridicule me. So I did not express my admiration very interestingly, and changed the subject: "That brother called the old man uncle, could it be your nephew?" Ji Xuan looked sad and said: "This son Zhao Liang, whose name is Wenshan, is the son of Zhao Yi, the old man's close friend Daizhou. The old friend and his wife died in the war. This child grew up beside the old man since he was a child. I am called his father and brother. This child calls me Uncle, but in fact he loves his father and son. A few days ago, I heard that the Yong army attacked Qinzhou and killed civilians along the way. The villagers were frightened and uneasy, and they all went north to seek refuge. Only the old man was seriously ill and could not bear the journey. I had no choice but to stay to die, this child is very filial, and he insisted on refusing to escape on his own, I hope Hou Ye will spare his life for the sake of my nephew's recklessness and filial piety." I took a look at that Ji Liang, and I admired him very much. This man is indeed a dutiful son. Seeing him keep blocking the door just now because of his uncle, he must be worried that we would hurt his uncle, and since he is by Ji Xuan's side, He must also be familiar with the classics and history, seeing that his martial arts are also good, but he is a talent with both civil and military skills. Although they are from the Northern Han Dynasty, Ji Xuan should not have any loyalty to the Northern Han royal family, and Zhao Liang should not reject Dayong. Zhao Liang is a talent that can be recruited.Thinking of this, I smiled and said: "So Young Brother Zhao is a filial man, General Huyan, you should step down, I have offended you so much, please forgive me, Young Brother." Hu Yanshou withdrew his saber and retreated, then Zhao Liang stood up, hurriedly walked over to support Ji Xuan, just took a life from the ghost gate, Zhao Liang's complexion was also very pale, he respectfully said: "Your Majesty, Zhao Liang I am very grateful, and I ask Lord Hou to be merciful and not to hurt my uncle's life." I said sternly: "Mr. Ji is a master of Confucianism. Although he is a late scholar, how dare he have the intention of doing harm? It's just that our army has been defeated and needs to be recuperated here for a while. Please also ask Young Brother Zhao to stay in the village." Don't act without authorization, and when Jiang leaves, the two of you will be free." A look of joy flashed across Zhao Liang's face, I saw him beaming with joy, knowing that he was a man with little background in the city, I liked him more and more, and said: "Originally there are many empty houses in the village, but most of my subordinates are warriors, I'm afraid they won't know the etiquette and disturb you Mr. Ji, besides, I also like the elegance of this place, do you know if Mr. Ji can allow Jiang to live here?" Ji Xuan snorted heavily. If he was not worried about Zhao Liang's life, how could he allow such an unfaithful person to stay in his home? , How dare the old man refuse to follow, the humble dwelling makes Hou Ye laugh, Liang Er, pack up your things, we will live elsewhere." I almost laughed out loud, this old gentleman is really funny, is he mocking me, but I am quite happy in my heart, at least this Ji Xuan knows how to back down, I don’t like to meet that kind of oil A ruthless person who doesn't like salt, but this kind of person has good talents and a great reputation. If I was forced to kill Ji Xuan, wouldn't it be ugly to spread the word.However, in all living beings, after all, there are many moderate people, people with firm minds, unshakable external objects and superb wisdom are hard to find, although I have met several such people. One is Xiao Shunzi. Don't look at him as a young man who seemed to be slick, but now he has shown his true colors. No one can shake his determination. Fortunately, God blesses him. He protects me wholeheartedly and treats me as a confidant.He absolutely does not allow anyone to compromise my safety, including myself, otherwise Xiao Shunzi would not be furious because I took the risk and made me suffer for several days. at the top of the list. The other is Lu Can, my former disciple, who made up his mind to be loyal to Southern Chu. A few days ago, a spy from Jiangnan arrived. It is unimaginable to me to give up the plan to take the opportunity to attack Dayong, but he did so, and he was willing to be placed under house arrest by Shang Weijun in Jianye. festival thing.Although I am very happy that the pressure on Dayong's south has been relieved because of this, I definitely don't expect Lu Can to surrender to Dayong in the future. In fact, there is another person who is the King of Qi, Li Xian. He is also a guy who does not give in to oil and salt. The reason why he obeys my advice now is purely because he sees me pleasing to the eye. Just looking at his consistent actions at the beginning, he knows that if this person is determined Once he has made up his mind, absolutely no one can change it. Speaking of which, I am extremely fortunate. This man never intended to take the throne of Dayong by himself. Otherwise, even if Li Zhi wins, it will be a miserable victory. Turned upside down.He cursed Li Xian fiercely in his heart. He already had a warning sign in his heart, but if he asked Li Xian to retreat for no reason, he would not listen, so I didn't talk too much, and it ended up causing me to fall into this kind of situation. Putting aside all distracting thoughts in my mind, I called Zhao Liang who was about to go in to tidy up and salute, and said apologetically, "Wait a minute, Young Brother Zhao, don't say that, Mr. Zhe is a junior at the end of his studies, how dare you drive him out of the residence, Mr. Zhe Seeing that there are wing rooms on both sides, I would like to borrow a guest room for a while, how would you like that?" Ji Xuan's face softened, and it was hard for him to speak harshly to me when I tolerated it like this, so he said kindly, "Thank you so much, Lord Hou, Liang'er often cleans the guest room in the East Wing, please feel sorry for Lord Hou." I smiled and agreed. After riding the horse for a long time, I almost couldn't hold it anymore. I rubbed my forehead and said reluctantly: "The late born is weak and unbearable, so I will retire first. Please go back to the room to rest, old man. Tomorrow Zhe still wants to ask the old gentleman for advice?" Ji Xuan saw that my face was pale and there were beads of sweat on my forehead. In fact, he was also suffering from a serious illness. After talking for a long time just now, he was relying on his mental support, so he quit and went back to his room to rest.I was helped by Xiao Shunzi into the wing room. The wing room was really elegant and clean and didn't need tidying up. I took off the cloak and fell on the bed, falling asleep almost as soon as I touched the pillow. When I woke up, I felt refreshed. I opened my eyes and saw Xiao Shunzi sitting in front of the window with a book in his hand and reading it with great interest. The boy who is about to go to bed consciously looks for a book to read today. I am still a very good gentleman.Although I only moved lightly, Xiao Shunzi had already noticed that I was awake, put down the scroll, and he came over with a cup of hot tea. I drank this cup of hot tea and felt much better in spirit, but my stomach became hungry.Xiao Shunzi said lightly: "The food is hot in the kitchen, I'll ask them to bring it." I got up and put on my coat, and said lazily, "That's fine." Xiao Shunzi went out to give instructions, and not long after, Su Qing came in with a wooden tray on which were some light dishes.When I saw that it was Su Qing, I couldn't help being a little embarrassed, and complained: "Xiao Shunzi, how can you ask General Su to do such a thing? Isn't it too rude." Su Qing said generously: "When the general wakes up, he sees that General Huyan has been refusing to rest. After asking about it, he finds out that he must be on duty in person. The general thinks that there will be hard battles at some point in the next few days, so I don't want him to do this." It's hard work, so I ask you to watch the night for him, sir, just treat the last general as General Huyan, don't mind these little things." Only then did I relax, thinking that Su Qing had been in the army all year round, so I'm afraid she would have stopped treating herself as a woman. She picked up the bamboo chopsticks and was about to eat, when the guards yelled from outside, I couldn't help but stop the chopsticks, Su Qing heard the sound After walking out, he came back after a while and said, "My lord, it's Mr. Zhao Liang. He may have heard that your lord is awake and wanted to see him overnight." I felt strange in my heart, and said, "Let him in." Anyway, this Zhao Liang couldn't make any big waves, so I didn't take it to heart. Who would let me have a master like Xiao Shunzi by my side? If the one who assassinated Su Qing I won't feel the danger until someone's Duan Lingxiao or Qiu Yufei appears. Not long after, Zhao Liang walked in. As soon as he entered the door, he knelt on the ground and nodded repeatedly. I felt strange and wanted to step forward to help, but Xiao Shunzi came over with a cold look, and I immediately retracted my hand consciously and asked Said: "Why is Brother Zhao like this? Please stand up and talk." Zhao Liang didn't get up, but raised his head and said, "Cao Min has a merciless request, begging Lord Hou to save my uncle's life." I thought about it and understood what he meant. Ji Xuan was seriously ill. Although I didn't take his pulse, I knew he was seriously ill. It was well known that I was a disciple of the Sage of Medicine. This Zhao Liang was seeking medical treatment. coming.But I seldom see a doctor for others, just looking after my own body is enough trouble.This is just a trivial matter, so I agreed generously: "Zhe here is honored by the younger brother's hospitality, so there is no problem with this matter, and tomorrow Zhe will personally diagnose Mr. Ji's pulse, but life and death are life and death. I can do my best, if there is something I can't bear to say, please forgive me, young brother." Zhao Liangxi said: "The grass people thank Lord Hou for his kindness, as long as Lord Hou is willing to treat him, no matter what, the grass people can only be grateful, how can they blame Lord Hou?" I looked at the food on the table and said with a smile: "It's late at night now, young brother must have been waiting for a long time, I'm afraid he's also hungry, and I'm bored eating alone, young brother may as well eat with me." How dare Zhao Liang sit at the same table with me, but I have made up my mind. After a while, another pair of bowls and chopsticks was brought, Zhao Liang just meant to eat a little, and I was talking to him while eating.Sure enough, as I expected, this Zhao Liang is really familiar with the classics and history, and he also knows current affairs like the back of his hand, and he is not at all blocked by living in the countryside.I had a good time talking with him, I didn't even notice that Xiao Shunzi removed the leftovers and replaced them with tea, but I got used to it and took a sip, and then said: "Young brother Zhao is so Talented people, but living in the countryside, after I Dayong came to Qinzhou, I don't know if my young brother is willing to work for Dayong." Zhao Liang's expression changed several times, and he finally asked: "There is something unclear about Caomin, please ask Lord Hou to enlighten me." I sipped the fragrant tea, um, the wild mountain tea was indeed extremely fresh, and I responded, "Wenshan, what do you want to ask?" Zhao Liang said solemnly: "Now that the Yong army is defeated by Anze, why is it that Lord Hou has no worries at all, and seems to have a chance to win? Could it be that the defeat of the Yong army is also in the calculation of Lord Hou." I shook my hand, and the tea almost spilled out. I looked at Zhao Liang with new eyes. At first I thought he was just a talent, but now it seems that this person is a genius. Just from my few words, I can see so much. Things, I put down the teacup, and said seriously: "This matter involves military aircraft, does Wenshan really want to know?" Zhao Liang's heart trembled, but he understood his situation very well. Since Jiang Zhe was soliciting, he might not be able to get away. If he didn't ask clearly, and the Yong army really returned in a disastrous defeat, then Dayong's unification of the world is very likely to be achieved. If that is the case, wouldn't he bear the stigma of betraying the country for nothing?So Zhao Liang nodded firmly and said, "Caomin really wants to know the reason." I thought to myself, this is not a trap I set, but you took the bait yourself, so I smiled frankly: "Although there are some things I can't tell you, I don't take this defeat to heart. An Ze, that is a style of play that hurts both sides. It can be seen that the Northern Han army has lost its strength. Although our army was defeated, the main force was not damaged because of the timely retreat. I think the biggest possibility for the Northern Han army is to withdraw to Qinyuan, lure our army to go deep into the enemy's territory. When our army's food supply is difficult, the Northern Han army can calmly face the enemy. But our army has never had the intention of winning easily. This disastrous defeat will only make our army Morale is even higher, and although the food road is blocked, our army still has dozens of warships in Zezhou Shuiying. As long as the civilian ships are requisitioned, the food road can be maintained. As long as we fight steadily, Qinyuan is not difficult to capture. What's more, our army is biased They should already be attacking Huguan, as soon as Huguan is breached, 200,000 troops will besiege Qinyuan, and it will only be a matter of time before the city is broken." Zhao Liang's heart sank when he heard this. Since the supervisor of the Yong army is so convinced that he will win, the morale of the Yong army must be high. Regardless of whether Qinyuan can be breached or not, this battle will cause heavy losses to the Northern Han Dynasty. Although Jiang Zhe didn't say anything strange , but it only needs to gather enough troops in an upright manner, and there is no need to use any tricks if there is a famous general like Qi Wang Li Xian commanding.Although he was from the Northern Han Dynasty, he had never been an official, was influenced by Ji Xuan, and had no intention of being loyal to the Liu family, so surrendering to Dayong was not an unacceptable thing for him.But thinking of the fleeing folks, Zhao Liang asked again: "Excuse me, Lord Hou, since Dayong has the ambition to dominate the world, why did he burn and kill along the way when he attacked Qinzhou this time, and drove the people northward? Incomprehensible." I thought to myself, the Qingye matter is related to the military, so I can't tell you, so I just said lightly: "Qinzhou soldiers and civilians have fought against Dayong for years, and almost every family has children who died on the battlefield. Our army doesn't want to leave any troubles behind. They harassed the grain roads, which is why they drove the people northward. In fact, apart from being a deterrent, our army did not massacre civilians. After the war, our army will come out to calm the people, but now we can only wrong them." Zhao Liang was still puzzled, but he knew that he knew enough, so he got up and bowed down and said, "If uncle agrees, Zhao Liang is willing to join Dayong, but Zhao Liang is from the Northern Han Dynasty, please forgive me and allow Zhao Liang Liang did not take part in the battle between Yong and Northern Han." I quickly helped him up and said: "I can decide this matter, and I will not make things difficult for you, young brother." I figured in my heart that it would be best for him to appease the place in the future, and of course not let him become a treason in the eyes of the soldiers and people of the Northern Han Dynasty . On the second day, I gave Ji Xuan a diagnosis and treatment. Fortunately, Ji Xuan's illness can still be cured, but now the medicine is not complete, so I will first use acupuncture and some medicines on hand to strengthen Ji Xuan's body and cultivate Yuan, and I can start to treat him when I return to the army. up.As for the matter of Zhao Liang joining me, Ji Xuan just sighed and stopped asking. In fact, he also understood that if I didn't kill them when I left, I'm afraid the Northern Han army would kill them as traitors in the future However, even if Zhao Liang did not surrender, he had no other way to go.I almost wanted to laugh out loud, with Ji Xuan in hand, it will be easier for Northern Han scholars to accept the rule of Dayong in the future. I have these two people, for the emperor, I am afraid that it is better than breaking a Northern Han city The credit is much greater. In the next few days, I saw that this place was hidden, so I decided to stay here. Anyway, it's better to be quiet than to move. I only need to wait a few days before I can meet up with Li Xian, so I don't want to go out to take risks.And there are hot springs here, which can prolong life.Eating rough tea and light meals every day, taking a leisurely soak in the hot springs, holding an ancient book in hand, and debating the scriptures with Mr. Ji, it is really a fairy-like day.