That year, that cicada, that sword

Chapter 1251
In a blink of an eye, it finally came to the end of the 24th year of Taiping.

The imperial capital and Jiangdu already had a festive atmosphere for the New Year, but in the central capital, there was no celebration at all, only chilling.

Because after half a month of rest and supplementary reinforcements, Zhang Wubing held a 20-man Northwest army, and decided to start a decisive battle with the grassland army outside Chen Bing's city.

Today's prairie army can be said to be difficult to ride a tiger. Previously, they were full of ambitions to capture Zhongdu, but after several Taoist masters were blown away by Xu Beiyou's sword, they suddenly became timid again, entering and not entering, Back and forth, for no reason.

Fortunately, today's prairie army has captured Liangzhou, and Xiliang, which owns the Hexi Plain, has always been the granary of the entire Northwest. Compared with the disaster-prone grassland, Xiliang is a rare and fertile land. The grassland army occupies here, and there is no need to worry about food and grass for a while, and it is really difficult to let them give up this fertile land. It's easy to swallow something, but hard to spit it out.It's like a beggar who enters an ordinary wealthy family and takes it for granted that the palace is nothing more than that, so he is even more reluctant to let go.

The grassland did not dare to fight, did not want to retreat, and wanted to occupy Xiliang for a long time, so the Daqi court would never agree.Now it is the end of the 24th year of Taiping. Next year, Xu Beiyou and Xiao Zhinan will each hold a ceremony.

Xu Beiyou's ceremony was his suzerain's enthronement ceremony, which was scheduled to take place on Biyou Island, and Zhang Xueyao had already personally organized it.And Xiao Zhinan's ceremony was her enthronement ceremony. After all, after the death of the first emperor, the new emperor ascended the throne, and the year name would be changed the next year. Now that Xiao Xuan and Xiao Bai passed away one after another, according to the usual practice, the year would be changed next year, and The country cannot be without a master for a day, and the court cannot be without an emperor for a day. Now the emperor's position has been vacant for half a year, which can be said to be unprecedented, and it can no longer be delayed. Therefore, after discussion among the courtiers, it was decided that next year the princess must be held. enthronement ceremony.

If you want to hold the Enthronement Ceremony, it would be best after the world is at peace, just like the great ancestor Gao Emperor Xiao Yu, who ascended the throne at the Circular Mound Altar after pacifying Lu Qian in the south of the Yangtze River, before Xiao Zhinan’s Enthronement Ceremony, The war in the northwest must subside, at least the grassland cannot continue to occupy Liangzhou.

As Wei Wuji said, war is not an end, but a means.

In the final analysis, political affairs are above war, so throughout the dynasties, the situation of civil officials controlling military generals has gradually formed.

Now the civil officials believe that the war must be ended within the next year, so Zhang Wubing, who is a general, has to compromise.

What's more, after next year, Xu Beiyou may not continue to sit in the central capital. Once Xu Beiyou leaves the central capital, without the scruples of the prairie army, he will not be in his current posture.

Due to various reasons, Zhang Wubing's dispatch of troops became inevitable.

In the 24th year of Taiping, the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month.

The Northwest army went out of the city to fight, and the general Xu Beiyou personally supervised the battle.

Xu Beiyou left the Jiutian Building on the night of the 28th of the twelfth lunar month. Although he failed to make progress in a short period of time, he made up for the aura lost in the previous series of battles and returned to his peak state.

……

Although the grassland camp at this time can't be said to be gloomy, it's really hard to say how morale is high.

In the big tent of the Chinese army, except for Lin Han, all the Taiwanese including Lin Shu all had solemn faces.

Although Lin Han seemed calm, he couldn't hide the gloom in his eyes.

Zhang Wubing's decision to leave the city to fight seems to be due to the pressure of the court, but as the leader of the four famous generals, Zhang Wubing's qualifications and ability to lead troops in battle are unmatched by others.This time Zhang Wubing went out to fight in the city, he definitely would not act hastily, the turmoil in the Northwest Army was not as big as others thought, and it could even be called calm and calm.

What's more, the cabinet ministers in the court today are not the kind of scholars and literati who are completely ignorant of military affairs. Before they forced Zhang Wubing to send troops, they had already sent a large amount of military supplies and reinforcements to the northwest, making the original exhausted army The Northwest Army was able to resume replenishment.As early as the beginning of the Northwest War, the Northwest Army did not lose the slightest bit in the face of the Grassland Army. If it hadn't been forced to abandon Liangzhou and retreat to Zhongdu because of the lack of backup later, otherwise, the outcome would be two.

Under such circumstances, Lin Han is not sure of victory.

But since Zhang Wubing took the initiative to fight, Lin Han had no reason to back down.

Today is the day of the decisive battle between the two sides.

After Lin Han and Zhong Taiji agreed on the battle arrangement, they walked out of the Chinese army tent one after another.

At this moment, thunder sounded from the ground in the direction of Zhongdu, and the black cavalry marched forward like a tide. When they were about a mile away from the prairie army, a cavalry rushed out suddenly. It was Zhang Wubing who was wearing Xuanjia.

He rode alone until he came to a place less than a hundred feet away from the front of the grassland army, and stood on his horse.

In the bitter new wind, Lin Han, who was also fully armored, got on his horse. The bright light armor glowed with a faint light, which was the complete opposite of Zhang Wubing, who was dressed in pitch black black armor.

Countless prairie cavalry divided into two columns in front of him, leaving only a passage in the middle for one person to move forward.

Lin Han rode his horse forward along this passage. Every time he took a step forward, the grassland cavalry around him would gather quickly. When Lin Han reached the front of the formation, there were only endless cavalry behind him, without any gaps.

Zhang Wubing and Lin Han rode forward alone at the same time, and when the distance was less than ten feet, the two riders stopped their horses almost at the same time.

Lin Han looked at Zhang Wubing, his gray beard trembling slightly in the wind, and said with a smile, "Zhang Wubing, you are very courageous."

Zhang Wubing said slowly: "Back then, I heard that King Lin led his army into the southern border and pacified the seven prefectures in Nanzhong. He was known as General Shura, and I was very fascinated. But at that time, I was still an unknown person, and I was not enough to be compared with King Lin. .It wasn’t until the chaos in San Francisco that Zhang had the chance to fight against King Lin. The fight lasted for more than a year, and there were wins and losses for each other. Today, he wants to completely separate the winners and losers with King Lin.”

Lin Hanping smiled flatly, and said if he had something to say: "Haste makes waste."

Zhang Wubing said: "Since ancient times, those who have been able to become kings and kings since ancient times are all less than sixty years old. Don't you, Lin Han, think that you can create ancient and modern innovations and do things that the ancients could not do?"

Lin Han laughed at himself: "I'm over eighty years old, I'm about to die, I'm old."

Xu Lin glanced at Lin Han's gray beard, and said calmly, "Swords have no eyes. After meeting this time, I don't know if there will be a chance to meet again in the future. Even if we meet again, I am afraid that life and death will be separated."

Lin Han laughed it off and asked, "Zhang Wubing, what are your chances of winning?"

Zhang Wubing said: "The number is five to five."

Lin Han laughed loudly, his beard trembling slightly, "Okay, I'll wait for the Northwest Army."

The two parted ways.

(End of this chapter)