Chapter 58 Wu

Kublai Khan ordered the Secretary of State to award nineteen gold and silver medals. A few days later, Sai Dian went to Yunnan to take office under the great trust of the imperial court. It was September, and Zhenjin arrived in Xiangyang City again with Prime Minister Zuo of Zhongshu Province and Boyan, the coach of Zhengnan, and joined Ashu and Liu Zheng, who were commanding the battle ahead, and Yuxi Timur, who was in charge of the transfer of materials before the army.According to the Mongolian combat practice, the army will divide the soldiers into three groups and advance side by side.The reason why the East and West were sent out was to distract the Song army's attention and to support and cooperate with the main force in combat.The main force concentrated superior forces including infantry, cavalry, artillery and the 70,000 navy led by Liu Zheng. Under the command of Boyan himself, they advanced along the Han River to the southeast, hoping to start a decisive battle with the Song army at Yangluo Fort. , Annihilated the main force of the Song army.

Regardless of the exhaustion of the journey, Zhenjin and Boyan called together senior generals of each army for a short meeting. Boyan briefly described his combat intentions at the meeting. After the meeting, in order to entertain the crown prince and the generals who were about to go to war, Ashu painstakingly prepared a simple banquet for everyone in his military tent. Liu only drank one cup, so he stopped the cup and put the chopsticks on.Seeing that his face was pale and his eyes were swollen and red, Zhen Jin asked with concern: "General Liu, your complexion is not very good, is there something wrong?"

Liu Zheng looked at Zhenjin and wanted to say something, but suddenly his throat felt tight and his eyes were blurred. After a while, he returned to normal.He smiled at Zhen Jin: "It's okay, I probably didn't sleep well last night." Actually, this is not the truth.Recently, his sleep and food intake have dropped sharply, and his chest is often oppressed. However, due to the tense battle ahead, he has been holding back and has not sought medical treatment from a doctor in the army.He had a premonition that it would be difficult for him to persist until the day of victory. For this reason, he was even more eager to take down the last military barrier of the Song Dynasty - Yangluo Fort as soon as possible.

Although Liu Zheng tried his best to cheer up his spirits, Zhenjin was still worried, so he ordered the guards to invite Dr. Xu Dixu.Xu Di is the third son of Xu Guozhen, a national doctor. Xu Guozhen followed Kublai Khan, who was still the prince of the feudal family, in his early years. His medical ethics and skills were unmatched at the time, so he was deeply loved by Kublai Khan.After Kublai Khan ascended the throne, he named Xu Guozhen a national doctor.Xu Guozhen has three sons, only Xu Di has truly inherited his mantle, and he has the potential to be better than blue.This time Zhenjin went to the front line of Xiangyang in person, and Kublai Khan sent Xu Di to accompany his son.

After ordering the guards, Zhen Jin filled a glass of wine for Liu Zheng, and said affectionately: "Back then, if the general had not tried his best to overcome all opinions and offered a strategy to take Xiangyang first, our army's attack on Song Anneng would have been so smooth? These years, the general has been tired and never said anything. Bitter. General Ashu once said that he and the general are in the same boat through thick and thin, just like the two wheels of a cart, inseparable. Not only Ashu, but my father Khan and I are always grateful for the general's virtue, talent, and merit. I borrow Ashu today With a glass of wine, I wish the general will make great achievements again!"

A little blush appeared on Liu Zheng's face, and in an instant, a wave of heat surged all over his body. He raised his glass and touched the real gold crisply, and drank the wine in the glass in one gulp. He didn't say a word, all the thanks and gratitude were condensed in his heart.He seemed to be choked and coughed a few times to cover up the tears in his eyes. You have to meet your confidant in life, so what regrets in death! Everyone accompanied, and the atmosphere was turbulent. Xu Di hurried to the military tent. He wanted to meet the prince, but Zhen Jin waved his hand to stop him and asked him to check for Liu Zheng quickly.Liu Zheng was not stubborn and refused, so he obediently stretched out his hand and let Xu Di feel his pulse.

Zhen Jin noticed that Xu Di's face gradually became serious. "How about it?" "Well... it's okay, General Liu is too tired, can you please go back to the tent and rest for a while, I will go and dispense medicine for the general." Although Xu Di spoke calmly, there was a clear expression in his deliberately avoiding eyes. An unconcealable panic. Zhenjin's heart sank suddenly, and Liu Zheng was not allowed to object, so he ordered the guards to help Liu Zheng go back to his tent and rest. After Liu Zheng left, everyone was no longer in the mood to have a banquet. After sitting for a while, the senior generals dispersed to make preparations for the expedition.Zhen Jin was thinking about going to visit Liu Zheng, and Boyan, A Shu, and Yuxi Timur were also worried, and they all walked towards Liu Zheng's military tent in unison.

Before Liu's tent was settled, they met Xu Di face to face. "Doctor Xu, is General Liu better?" "Back to the prince: I gave General Liu some medicine, and he fell asleep just now." "What's wrong with General Liu? Is it really just too tired? Does it matter to him?" Xu Di looked back at Liu Zheng's military tent cautiously, and said in a low voice, "The crown prince and all the generals, please take a moment to talk." Zhen Jin and the others obediently followed Xu Di for a distance. It is estimated that even if Liu Zheng woke up, he would not be able to hear their conversation. Xu Di knelt down facing Zhen Jin.

"Doctor Xu, you are..." "Prince, I have no way to save my minister. General Liu... I'm afraid he won't be able to survive tonight." "what!" "How could this be?" Ashu was in a hurry and grabbed Xu Di's collar. Xu Di didn't struggle, but looked sadly at Ashu and Zhenjin, "Prince Rong said: General Liu has a heart disease, and now he has been fighting for many years, and he has lost recuperation. His pulse condition is stagnant and disordered, intermittent and continuous, which is obviously a sign of the imminent death. I really can't imagine how he survived those unbearable heartaches for ordinary people during this period of time, and did not collapse for so long? This kind of perseverance, such a patient, I really have never seen before! I... I am incompetent, except to temporarily relieve his pain, there is really no other way to try."

Ashu let go of Xu Di's collar in a daze, squatted on the ground, and pulled his hair fiercely: "It's all my fault! It's all my fault! I only care about fighting and calculating victory. His body! It's all my fault!" Yuxi Timur leaned over and pulled Ashu up: "Don't blame yourself too much! It's not your fault. We all know the character of General Liu. For the great cause of conquest, he would not hesitate to risk his life. What's more, he often stays on the ship, and you are not together most of the time." "No! It's my fault. I often feel tired when the battle is tense, so I thought his tiredness was normal. I missed him!"

"Ashu, calm down! I understand how you feel, and I am also very sad. But, at this moment, there is no point in complaining about yourself. Doctor Xu, can we go in and accompany General Liu? Don't worry, we won't It disturbed him. This is the end of the matter, we just want to send him one last ride." "It's ok, Prince. I'm worried that when General Liu wakes up, he will feel more constricted in his chest. I'll go and make some more medicine for him. The only thing I can do now is to try to relieve his dying pain. gone." "Okay, let's go." Boyan, Ashu, and Yuxi Timur followed closely behind Zhenjin, and walked into Liu Zheng's military tent lightly.Liu Zheng was in a coma, and his complexion was darker than that at the banquet.If it weren't for his weak, uneven breathing, people might mistake him for a long sleep. The soldier who was busy nursing Liu Zheng suddenly turned his head and saw Zhen Jin, and wanted to go forward to salute, Zhen Jin motioned him to keep quiet. Zhen Jin sat down beside Liu Zheng, took over from the soldier, and carefully wiped Liu Zheng's chapped lips with a piece of thin silk soaked in water.Boyan and Yuxi Timur looked at each other with deep regret in each other's eyes.Ah Shu's eyes were always red. At this moment, he wished he could find a panacea from somewhere that could make Liu Zheng stand in front of him right away.If there is such a medicine, he is willing to exchange his life for it.He didn't trust Liu Zheng from the beginning. The friendship between him and Liu Zheng was gradually cultivated in the battles of life and death. It is precisely because of this that he cherishes this friendship. As if waiting for a very long time, but also as if it was extremely short, Liu Zheng opened his eyes.His spirit has improved a lot, and his eyes are shining brightly on his sunken cheeks. "General Liu." "Prince, is that you? Prime Minister Boyan, General Ashu, and General Yu, are you all here?" Yuxi Timur's name was too long, and Liu Zheng couldn't pronounce it, so he always called him General Yu. "Yeah, let's see you." "Have you been here for a long time?" "We just came in, just sat down. How are you feeling?" "After this sleep, I feel much better." Liu Zheng paused for a while, "Prince, I'm sorry, I... I'm afraid I will disappoint you and Da Khan's expectations. The day before the expedition, Da Khan summoned his ministers to meet with him When visiting the imperial orchard together, he must pick more ripe peaches and bring them to eat on the way to the expedition. He told his ministers that when he captured Lin'an City, he would personally buy wine for his ministers and all the soldiers to celebrate. But now, I am going to let him down. Please tell the prince to tell Da Khan that I will repay him in the next life for his kindness." Zhen Jin felt sad, at this moment, he naturally gave up the idea of ​​comforting Liu Zheng with white lies.He knew that for Liu Zheng, who was strong-willed and clear-headed, empty relief was meaningless. "General Liu, don't worry, I will relay your words to Father Khan. What else do you want to bring to your family? Or, if there is anything you want to do but haven't finished, I can help you with it." .” "Thank you, Prince. After I die, please bury me in Lumen Mountain, which is more than 30 miles southeast of Xiangyang City. As for the family members, I believe that the Great Khan and the Prince will take care of them. Yangluobao belongs to the Song court. The last military barrier, Song Ting will definitely put all his eggs in one basket and deploy heavy troops in Yangluo Fort. Moreover, the terrain there is complicated, and cavalry, artillery, and sailors are not suitable for use. Therefore, if you want to take down Yangluo Fort, you can only take it. storm." Zhen Jin's tears finally welled up in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away and nodded deeply at Liu Zheng.At the last moment, he had to let Liu Zheng leave with peace of mind. "Prince." Xu Di gently pushed open the tent door and walked in. "Prince, minister..." He saw Liu Zheng, "General Liu, are you awake? I have told the soldiers to decoct the medicine, and it will be ready soon." "No need, no need. I feel good, I've never been so relaxed, really." Liu Zheng's voice weakened, he concentrated all his energy, and held Zhen Jin's hands more tightly: "Prince, Thinking that I, Liu Zheng, was originally a general of the Song Dynasty, how could the treacherous ministers in the court rule the court, and I don’t know who to shed my blood for? Until I meet the Lord of the Ming Dynasty, I will get my life’s wish! As long as the country is unified, I, Liu Zheng, Destined to go to Huangquan, I feel no regrets in this life, but it's a pity... But, at this last moment, I can still see the prince and so many good brothers, and being able to be with you, God really cares for Liu .” Liu Zheng's strength seemed to be exhausted, he reluctantly let go of Zhen Jin's hand little by little, and slowly closed his eyes. This generation of famous generals who spent his whole life in the army, repeatedly offered good strategies to destroy the Song Dynasty, and made great achievements repeatedly, died suddenly at the front line of the Song Dynasty at the age of fifty-two. Zhen Jin kept his original posture and sat beside Liu Zheng, not moving his body for a long time.Boyan's eye sockets were tingling, and he pinched the center of his eyebrows mechanically with his fingers.Yuxi Timur and Xu Di looked at each other sadly, Yuxi Timur thought of something, and patted A Shu's shoulder comfortingly. Ah Shu seemed to be unconscious, his eyes were dazed, but his legs trembled slightly. "General Liu, I've remembered everything you told me, go at ease." Finally, Zhen Jin said slowly.Ashu couldn't bear it anymore, and didn't care whether it would be demeaning to do so, so she threw herself in front of Liu Zheng's bed, and burst into tears.