Chapter 12 Chapter 8 The Tide Reversal

"Reporting to Father Commander, Nikan Wai Lan said that he has already figured out a plan to break Gule City!" It was just dawn, and Li Chengliang, who had a good night's sleep, finished his usual exquisite clothes under the service of his left and right, and drank a few sips of ginseng tea. He was about to send someone to ask, but unexpectedly, Li Rumei had already come to report to him . "This dog thief has a quick brain!" Li Chengliang couldn't help but sneered triumphantly. Li Rumei also couldn't help smiling: "This guy has been hungry all day and night, how dare he not use his brain quickly?"

"If you don't see the coffin, you won't shed tears, you're a bitch!" Li Chengliang's eyes showed obvious contempt: "However, he is also a very useful dog. Using him to deal with the Jurchens saved me a lot of trouble!" "He is a Jurchen himself, and he knows the nature of the Jurchens best!" Li Rumei responded, "It's easy to arrange internal counselors." Li Chengliang nodded slightly, and said to Li Rumei: "You ask someone to go, loosen his ties, and get him something to fill his stomach; after another hour to raise the account, I'd like to hear what this dog thief slave comes up with." What a plot!"

"yes!" Li Rumei responded, and then retreated respectfully; an hour later, drums sounded at the entrance of the camp on time, and the drums rose and fell three times, representing Li Chengliang's order to raise the tent—this drum sound was heard in the Ming army camp. Wave after wave spread, everyone carefully pricked up their ears and listened attentively, and there was a preparation in their hearts. The head coach raised his account, which meant that the new battle plan was about to be implemented. Everyone All must cooperate fully. The drum sounded three times—although the drum sound was not loud enough to spread to Gule City, Jue Changan and Takshi father and son, who were in Gule City and had never closed their eyes all night, seemed to be in a different mood. smell.

The bitterly cold morning was still full of wind and snow, and it was bitterly cold, but the sky was already dawn, and the hearts of the two were clear. "Li Chengliang is about to take action again!" Jue Chang'an sighed, and murmured; his gloomy expression, coupled with the torment of worry and anxiety in his heart after not sleeping all night, made his eyes bloodshot red, and his face showed a haggard look. senile. Tu Keshi's heart was as heavy as Jue Chang'an's, but he pulled himself together, forced himself a smile, thought of a self-deceiving sentence, and comforted Jue Chang'an: "Ah Tai will not be unprepared." ——Perhaps, as Ah Tai and Da Niu thought, Li Chengliang can't take advantage of it, and if he can't attack Gule City for a long time, he will have to retreat in vain!"

"I hope so!" Just as he was talking, the sound of a loud horn suddenly came from his ears, whining, breaking through the sound of wind and snow in the early morning, and it was extremely harsh; when Jue Changan and Tu Keshi heard it suddenly, their hearts First he was surprised for no reason, and then he felt a little relieved: "It's Mrs. Tai who is reorganizing the army..." Then, the two began to fall into worry again—a fierce battle was about to start, the two sides were outnumbered, and the strength of the troops was very different. The situation in Gule City was really not as optimistic as he said!

However, his father and son are in the delicate and embarrassing relationship between Ataizhangjing and Aixinjueluo's couple; now, they are caught in a dilemma where they can't do anything - if I had known that Aixinjueluo would never If they are willing to leave Atai Zhangjing, the two of them don't have to travel all the way to Gule City! "Now, I really have no idea at all!" Jue Changan looked at Tu Keshi and shook his head: "It doesn't matter if the trip was in vain, the bad thing is that meeting them will be embarrassing!" "Auntie probably already knows the reason for our visit—the big girl will tell him—otherwise, he came back from patrolling the city last night, and he hasn't come to look for us until now, so he just avoided seeing us and didn't even say hello Already!"

He was right. After Aixinjueluo told Atai Zhangjing about Jue Changan and Takshi's intentions, Ataizhangjing looked at Aixinjueluo with silent eyes. After a while, He calmly said to her: "I understand their intentions very well. After all, we are also the parents of children, and no one does not think about our children. Your grandfather and uncle want to take you back. There is nothing wrong, they are for your safety; if you decide to go back with them, I have no objection." He left her to decide whether to stay or not; when Aixinjueluo heard what he said, of course she understood his intentions, so she sighed softly and said quietly: "I am Fujin you Mingmei is marrying!"

In this way, everything was unspoken; the two of them simply avoided seeing Jue Changan and his son. In the early morning of the next day, the husband and wife arranged their military uniforms and weapons, stepped on their horses and rushed to Chengguan to prepare for the battle. . Jue Chang'an and Tu Keshi's moods and attitudes are of course not as calm as they are. There were two knocks on the door. The two thought it was Aixinjue Luo Shi who came, and Tu Keshi hurriedly opened the door, only to realize at a glance that it was a sergeant who came in with two breakfasts in his hands; Jue Changan and Tu Keshi I could only watch helplessly as he put the breakfast on the table respectfully, then turned around and backed out without a word.

After the father and son looked at each other, Tu Keshi hurriedly chased him out, and asked the sergeant, "Do you know if the city lord and Fujin are in the mansion?" "Not here." The sergeant shook his head and told Tu Keshi, "Leave the mansion before dawn and go to defend the city!" "The Ming army attacked the city again?" "It hasn't started yet—but it is indispensable; the city has been surrounded for so many days, and the Ming army has attacked the city countless times!" Hearing the words, Tu Keshi stopped asking, and retreated into the room. Jue Changan was contemplating, and he heard the conversation between the two just now, so he said to Tu Keshi: "I'm thinking, big girl It's about the matter——since that's what she wants, we have no choice but to let her go; we have done our best after this trip, and we can have no regrets!"

After hearing this, Tu Keshi asked: "Ama, do you mean that we are going back to Jianzhou Zuowei right now?" Jue Changan sighed: "It is not only useless for us to stay here, but also redundant!" Tu Keshi also felt the same way, especially the avoidance between Atai Zhangjing and Aixinjueluo all day long and leaving the house early in the morning without warning, which showed a firm attitude and brought him even more stimulation. ——Seeing this affectionate and loving couple, he couldn't help but think of his late wife Sitara, who was also a virtuous woman with whom he had a deep affection!

A mixture of sentimentality and sadness suddenly rose in his heart. This was the first time since Sitara's death more than ten years ago that he let the hidden sadness well up in his heart, and it was revealed silently from his eyes. come out. Of course Jue Changan saw his changed and unusual expression, but he never thought that it was because he missed his dead wife, only because he was still sad because of the situation of Atai Zhangjing and Aixinjueluo, so he went Said to him: "I see, let's go now! Go back to Jianzhou Zuowei—anyway, if you want to go out of the city, you always have to go out by the gate of the city. Go early and see their battle situation first, alas! No matter what So, I'm always a little worried!" "yes." In response, Tu Keshi followed Jue Changan and left Atai Zhangjing's mansion. After going out the door, the two got on their horses and went to the city gate. Gule City was not big, and the two fast horses galloped there in a short time. The soldiers drew their bows one by one and drew their knives out of their sheaths. It was obvious that the situation was already very tense. Taking the horse by hand, Tu Keshi asked a nearby sergeant who was standing upright, "City Lord and Fujin, where are they now?" The sergeant answered him: "The Ming army has already begun to make movements. The city lord has brought people to guard outside the city gate, and Fujin is on the tower, beating the drums himself to help." After hearing this, Tu Keshi looked at Jue Chang'an; Jue Chang'an looked up at the towers filled with figures, and said, "Let's go up and have a look!" So, the two climbed up the tower one after the other; however, as soon as they went up the stairs, they saw Aixinjueluo's back just now, and felt in their hearts that it would be embarrassing to meet Aixinjueluo at this moment. It turned out to be a dilemma; the two simply did not go forward to meet Aixinjueluo, and quietly stood still among the soldiers guarding the city. Fortunately, most of the soldiers recognized the two of them and did not suspect that they were spies. . The two stood on the tower, and looked down at the battlefield outside the city gate - the tower was not built high, and it was simple and crude, almost the size of a high platform; therefore, in comparison, straddling a war horse At that time, Atai Zhangjing standing at the gate of the city looked unusually tall and mighty; he was surrounded by several lieutenants and a group of soldiers, and the spear in his hand was shining in the snow. The Ming army hadn't launched an offensive yet, and Atai Zhangjing was only ready to go, but he was already intimidating. However, when Tu Keshi saw Atai Zhangjing at a glance, he suddenly let out an "ah" for no reason, his voice was low and hurried, his face was flushed, and his heart was beating faster. Jue Chang'an heard his call, so he asked in a low voice, "What's the matter?" Tu Keshi answered him truthfully: "It's nothing—I just, for some reason, suddenly thought of Nurhachi coming!" Before he finished speaking, there was a sudden drumbeat in his ears—the Ming army was about to launch an action—Jue Changan and Tu Keshi immediately stopped talking, held their breaths, and focused on the Ming army. army team. The brigade of people is rushing towards Gule City at a high speed, so many that they seem to be able to flatten the wooden fence of Gule City with one step; the brightly colored flags are dancing wildly in the wind and snow, as if on an altar It's like guiding the god of death to come. On the side of Gule City, the sound of the drums immediately sounded; Aixinjueluo played the drums herself, and she held a mallet in both hands, beating hard on the leather drums, and the passionate encouragement immediately shook like thunder. It pierced through the sky, and everyone's blood boiled when they heard it. The spear in Atai Zhangjing's hand was already held high in the air. Facing the Ming army, which was several times larger than the defenders of Gule City, he was not only fearless, but also had the ambition to win; Jue Chang'an looked at him, couldn't help nodding his head again and again, and praised Tu Keshi: "Auntie, it's really good, as expected of Wang Gao's son..." He had only spoken halfway, but Tu Keshi suddenly let out an exclamation, interrupting his words; then, Tu Keshi stretched out his hand and pointed forward, and said in his mouth: "Ama, look—Ming Jun How could the chief general be Nikan Wailan?" His surprised tone revealed the feeling of great surprise in his heart. Jue Changan followed his gestures and looked carefully, and unconsciously let out an "ah". The leader of the Ming army is indeed the scum of the Jurchens, the city lord of Tulun, Nikan Wailan. He is riding on a tall horse, wearing the battle robe and armor of the Ming army, but there is a small braid behind his head. But still drooping straight, it looks nondescript. At this moment, of course, his expression is no longer begging for mercy, but a complacent and arrogant expression; however, several bloodstains and bruises on his forehead are still clearly visible. Looking at it, it looks very funny when it contrasts with his expression. Except for him, Li Ruwu and Li Rugui, the main generals who attacked the city, were not in the ranks, nor were they surrounded by lieutenants. Only a few sergeants followed him closely. One person is holding a long pole, on which hangs a human head——the head of Ahai Zhangjing, the lord of Shaji City. Seeing this situation, Jue Changan and Tu Keshi first glanced at each other, but they both frowned at the same time; Jue Changan lowered his voice and said to Tu Keshi, "How could this be? Nikan Wai Lan Leading the crowd to attack, I'm afraid the situation will change!" However, an unexpected change had already taken place, and it was so fast that people had no time to think of a contingency strategy before they had to face it—Nikan Wailan and the three thousand Ming troops were already approaching the city. Atai Zhangjing had already waved his spear with furious eyebrows, and was only waiting to ride his horse to attack; however, when the group of people led by Nikan Wailan arrived in front of the battle, no one went to fight at all, instead a row of archers came up first, and they couldn't help but say First, there was a burst of random shooting, and hundreds of crossbow arrows roared all over the sky. Although it could not hurt many people, it forced Atai Zhangjing and the defenders to go forward to fight. Just as the crossbow arrows were fired, Nikan Wailan spoke loudly: "All the brothers in Gule City, listen to me—the army of the Ming Dynasty has captured Shaji City, and everyone in the city has been killed. Kill them all, look, this is the head of Shaji City Lord Ahaizhangjing!" As he spoke, he raised his hand and made a gesture. The sergeant holding the long pole immediately rode his horse to catch up a few steps forward, and then swung the long pole in his hand from side to side. It fluttered non-stop in mid-air, looking creepy. Nikan Wailan himself was a little shocked when he saw it, so he quickly let go of his voice and shouted loudly to cover up his uneasiness: "This is an example of resisting the army of the Ming Dynasty. The people in Shaji City refused to surrender. In the Ming Dynasty, there is only one dead end! Don’t tell me, brothers in Gule City, do you also want to be like the people in Shaji City, and when the city is broken, you will be killed by the army of the Ming Dynasty without leaving a single one?” His voice was already ugly, and with the addition of shouting, it became harsh, but it spread more clearly, and almost all the defenders heard it. Jue Chang'an and Ta Keshi who were standing on the city tower heard their voices too. After hearing this, the two yelled in unison: "No! This is too bad!" "Ama," Takshi continued, anxiously asking, "I'm afraid it will shake the morale of the army—now, what should we do?" Jue Changan sighed, but before he had time to speak, Nikan Wailan under the tower started to shout again: "The army of the Ming Dynasty has surrounded you all, and none of you can escape! You might as well hurry up!" Surrender——Since the army of the Ming Dynasty has come here from a long distance, they will not retreat casually. If you don't surrender, when the army of the Ming Dynasty captures the city, you will suffer the same punishment as Shaji City. Destiny, all of them were killed!" He yelled, and the defenders of Gule City were indeed affected, and the crowd had already started whispering; seeing this situation in the eyes of Jue Changan and Tu Keshi, he was even more anxious, and Tu Keshi clenched his hands tightly. Jue Changan frowned and looked directly at the city. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration flashed in his mind, and a thought flashed across his mind, so he immediately ordered Tucker to say: "Go and call the big girl!" Beat the drums to interrupt Nikan Wailan!" "Ah, yes!" Upon hearing this, Tu Keshi immediately felt that this was a good idea, agreed, and quickly ran towards Aixinjueluo. However, it was too late, and before he ran to Aixinjueluo, Nikan Wailan had already finished speaking loudly, "Surrender quickly, and those who surrender can save their own lives!" , Uncle Ning Yuan of the Ming Dynasty, Liaodong General Soldier, and Marshal Li have ordered that those who surrender will not die; moreover, if someone kills Atai Zhangjing and surrenders, he will replace Atai Zhangjing as the city lord of Gule City! " As soon as these words came out, the crowd was not just whispering, but commotion started, and after a while, the crowd had already begun to lose order. "Quickly kill Atai Zhangjing and surrender!" Nikan Wailan shouted even more vigorously: "Whoever kills Atai Zhangjing will be the Lord of Gule City!" The defenders became even more chaotic. Not only did they have no intention of fighting, the order was chaotic, but the morale of the army was also shaken to a very serious degree. But at this moment, a loud cry came from the crowd, echoing Nikan Wailan's words, shouting He said: "He is right! We might as well kill Atai Zhangjing and become the city lord ourselves, so as not to be killed by the army of the Celestial Dynasty!" Now, the crowd became more commotion, and many people responded loudly: "Yes! We surrender..." "Kill Ah Tai first..." Atai Zhangjing, who was guarding the gate of the city and preparing to face the battle, did not expect such a change in the battle situation; however, it was already a fact that his elbow and armpit changed. In a hurry, he could neither control the morale of the army nor make up his mind. He hurriedly led his trusted lieutenant back to the city. The city was in chaos, and those who advocated killing Atai Zhangjing and surrendering had already begun to kill each other with those who opposed it. Many people on the tower were about to attack Aixinjueluo. Fortunately, Tu Keshi had already rushed to her side to help her resist; Jue Changan also squeezed into the two of them from the crowd, and shouted in a low voice: "Go quickly! Go back to the house first!" The three of them dealt with the swords and guns attacking from all directions, while rushing down the stairs; when they got off the tower, they happened to meet Atai Zhangjing who had returned to the city. All the people gathered in one place, but their strength was still weak. Therefore, under the siege of the rebel army, they looked very embarrassed. In particular, Ataizhangjing and Aixinjueluo clan faced the besieging crowd originally from their own people, so although the two were superb in martial arts, when they fought hand-to-hand, their hearts were unavoidably soft-hearted and they couldn't do anything; Fei Zhouzhang, mostly relying on Jue Chang'an and Tu Keshi's resistance to the rebel army, managed to fight his way back to Atai Zhangjing's mansion. The door was closed heavily, barely blocking the crowds coming in, and several people let out a long breath, followed by a panting; when they calmed down, they found that everyone's bodies were It was already covered with blood, and the coat and armor were all dark red. The trusted lieutenants who followed Atai Zhangjing to break out of the siege had lost more than half of them. Atai Zhangjing looked around at the few people around him, his eyes showed sadness unconsciously, especially when his eyes turned to Aixinjueluo, his heart was full of mixed feelings, so he looked up to the sky and sighed: " I never thought that the people of Gule City would betray me..." He leaned on the ground with his long spear, straightened his waist, and trembled in his mournful and indignant voice: "This is not my defeat!" Aixinjueluo's eyes were already filled with tears, but he gritted his teeth and held back; unexpectedly, at this moment, there was a knocking sound on the door, and a few people knew that the rebel army was already knocking on the door. How long will it take for the rebels to break into the door. There was blood rushing in Ah Taizhang Jing's heart, filled with grief and indignation, his eyes were red, he stomped his feet, raised his spear, and wanted to turn around and kill, but unexpectedly, at this moment, from the inner hall A naive child's voice came out, calling intermittently: "Ama—Emiang..."