The Yanming of the Five Hus and Sixteen Kingdoms

Chapter 66
In the south of Yecheng, dangyin

Shi Zun's army to defeat Zhang Jackal's rebel finally arrived.After just over a month, Shi Zun will come to Yecheng again.Only different from last time, this time Shi Zun did not come alone, but led an army of [-] led by the generals.At this time, its power is so great that no one in Zhao State can match it, and the soldiers are approaching under the city of Ye, staring at them like a tiger.

Shi Zun climbed up a high slope, pointed his horsewhip into the distance, and said excitedly, "Look, all generals, the city of Ye is just ahead, and the foundation of Zhao Guangfu, my great leader, is right in front of us."

Meng Zhun congratulated: "Congratulations to King Pengcheng for bringing order out of the chaos and turning the tide. My great Zhao Jinxiu is finally preserved."

"Master Meng's words are to the point, but the one who made the first contribution..." After speaking, Shi Zun waved his hand and signaled to the people below, "Please, Ran Min."

Not far away, Ran Min rode his horse up the high slope, got off his horse and said, "I pay my respects to King Pengcheng."

"General Shi, please get up quickly." Shi Zun raised Ran Min with only two hands, held Ran Min in one hand, and Meng Zhun in the other, and they walked forward together, stood still, and stared into the distance. Strength. I, Shi Zhao, have suffered from civil strife for a long time, and now I will join hands in this grand event with one heart and one mind.”

Ran Min only stretched his cloak, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty said it is true, within the territory of our country of Zhao, the five barbarians and the barbarians are mixed together, and there should be no difference. With the strength of all the tribes, our country of Zhao will be invincible to China .”

Meng Zhun only glanced at him, and said directly to Shi Zunjin, "Even so, Hu Hanzhi has to be guarded against."

Ran Min wanted to argue, but Shi Zun hurriedly dissuaded him: "Okay, both of you are the ministers of my country's rejuvenation, and you should be of one heart and one mind. Today, Zhang Yu is leading the army to confront me in Dangyin. The two lovers think that how?"

Ran Min thought for a while, and his deep pupils seemed to see the battle of Yin and Yang decades ago, and said: "During the Eight Kings Rebellion, King Sima Yue of the East China Sea took Emperor Hui of Jin to attack Sima Ying, King of Chengdu in the north. Defeated here, the Jin family is in a slump and can no longer cheer up, and now I will raise my army to fight against the rebels here, and the battle will be decided."

Meng Zhun lowered his posture towards Ran Min, shortened his stature by half a point, and said with a smile: "Ran Min is really heroic, since he is so generous, General Lao will be my vanguard and open the way to Yecheng."

"Oh, as expected, you can't win the country by talking about it." Ran Min only strode towards his Zhu Longma, picked up his double-edged spear, and immediately said to the soldiers below, "Everyone, follow me to open for the whole army." way out."

With the sound of a whistle, all the soldiers rolled towards Dangyin, with Ran Min in front.

Looking at Ran Min's leaving back, the afterglow of the setting sun fell on Meng Zhun's face, making him look extraordinarily gloomy.

"Your Majesty, Ran Min is not a member of our Jie family. Such a rebellion by the Han people may be detrimental to Your Majesty."

Shi Zun looked at the empty big tent, felt lost, and sighed for a long time: "Nowadays, among the Shi family members, there is no such prestige as Ran Min. It is impossible to leave him."

"Your Majesty, birds have kept good bows since ancient times, and this powerful bow of Ran Min may eventually hit the Shi family. I hope Your Majesty will think about it earlier."

In the imperial prison in Yecheng.A group of jailers took shackles and chains, knocked on the prison door and walked to a brightly lit room.

"Come out, your hard days are coming to an end." An elderly jailer said in a broken voice.

The prison door opened slowly, and a handsome woman, together with a maid beside her, was helped out by the accompanying maid.

Just as the jailer was about to put the shackles on the two of them, he was ordered by the maid next to him, "You all step down, this is the person Empress Dowager Liu wants, get out of here."

Immediately the maid went to the numbered room and said, "Princess Shi Yun, Empress Dowager Liu is here to invite you."

Yegong Temple in Yecheng

Shi Yun was freshened up by the maid, and carried in the oil wall car to Yegong Temple.

"Squeak~" The heavy temple door opened, and Shi Yun walked into the dim temple. In front of the Buddha statue, Empress Dowager Liu was praying sincerely.Shi Shi next to him is by his side.

A maid trotted from the door, walked up to Empress Dowager Liu and whispered a few words.After hearing the news, Empress Dowager Liu got up slowly, turned around, and said, "Shi Yun, long time no see." Then she signaled all the maids on the left and right to leave, leaving only Empress Dowager Liu, Shi Yun, and Shi Shi in the temple.

Shi Yun walked over slowly, saluted forward, and said, "Empress Liu, Empress Dowager, please come and be safe."

Only candles flicker in the temple, reflecting the half light and half darkness of the Buddha statue, but it is a bit creepy.

"Shi Yun, you finally got what you wished for, 'Is the palace? Is the palace? The thorns will become a forest, and the bad guys will be clothed'. The great monk's words became a proverb, and the foundation of our Zhao Kingdom will be destroyed by Ran Min," Liu said. The Empress Dowager finally couldn't bear it anymore, and exploded: "You are happy, you can finally avenge your father." After finishing speaking, the Empress Dowager Liu couldn't hold on any longer, and leaned down to hug Shi Shi, "Poor my son. "

Shi Yun clenched his fists tightly and spat out word by word: "The Empress Dowager Liu killed the first emperor's flesh and blood, Zhang Jackal sold officials and nobles, and the government affairs are all caused by cronies and relatives. My minister cannot bear the destruction of Zhao Guojiang and mountains by the hands of women like you."

Empress Dowager Liu said angrily: "I die as soon as my wife dies, why should I murder my son?"

Shi Yun suddenly became suspicious, "What does the Queen Mother mean?"

"This is a proclamation, you can read it yourself." After Liu Hou finished speaking, he took out a volume of cloth from behind and threw it to Shi Yun.

Shi Yun picked it up, only looking at the dim candlelight.It roughly reads: "The royal family is in trouble, the heroine is in the court, and the treacherous ministers use things... Shi Zun is old and virtuous, the first emperor intended to grant him the throne, Shi Shichong is young... he should abdicate and let the virtuous, so as to fulfill the destiny."

"My palace has heard that Shi Zun has appointed Shi Min as the crown prince, and the world of your family is about to fall into the hands of outsiders. How will you face the ancestors of the Shi family under Ru Jiuquan?"

"No, Ran Min won't." Shi Yun just sat there blankly.

Empress Dowager Liu held Shi Shi's shoulders, looked straight at him, and said, "Shi'er, do you know? A king can't show his emotions and anger. The so-called lonely family means you have no friends."

Shi Shi solemnly nodded.

"Boom!" The gate of the temple was knocked open by the sergeant, and Zhang Jackal led the troops in, only seeing Shi Yun on the floor.

Zhang Jack took a step forward and said to Empress Dowager Liu and Shi Shi: "I see that the driver is late, I hope you will forgive me."

"Quick, help me up quickly." Empress Dowager Liu asked Shi Shi, "How is the battle going?"

Zhang Hao glanced sideways at Shi Yun who was sitting on the ground, then turned around and said, "Shi Zun's army is powerful, and together with Ran Min's bravery, our army..."

"But it doesn't matter." Empress Dowager Liu said.

"Our army suffered a big defeat in Dangyin, and now all the remnants have retreated to Yecheng to hold on." Zhang Jack lowered his head and glanced at Shi Yun again, and said, "My Yecheng has been repaired extensively since the previous emperor moved the capital, and the turrets are strong. No worries."

"Since that's the case, I have to thank Zhang Taibao." Shi Shi supported Empress Dowager Liu and wanted to leave, but Zhang Jackal called to stop Empress Dowager Liu, "Empress Dowager, I still want to borrow someone to use."

Seeing that Zhang Jackal was referring to Shi Yun, Shi Shi hurriedly said: "Princess Shi Yun's unintentional mistake, don't..."

"Shi'er!" Empress Dowager Liu said angrily, "Everything is under Master Zhang's arrangement."

"On the day of the incident, Ran Min sent all his wives and children away from the city, but Shi Yun didn't make any arrangements. Now that he brought a large army to attack, the only person he cares about is Shi Yun. Come here, take Shi Yun to the top of the tower. Live and die with this city."

After finishing speaking, a group of people grabbed the iron chain, tied Shi Yun up, and went outside the hall.

Upstairs of Fengyang Gate, Yecheng
"Have you heard? The person who came this time is King Pengcheng." An elderly corporal rested on the crenel resting on his spear.

"Quick, open the city gate quickly." While speaking, someone shouted below.

The corporal stood up and took a look, then asked, "Where do you come from?"

I saw the sergeant carrying the flag in front shouting: "We are coming from Dangyin. This is the team at the back of the palace. It is the last team. Open the city gate quickly."

"It's coming from there again." The corporal leader was caught off guard, got up and greeted the sergeants in this group and shouted: "Brothers, let the bridge go, open the gate."

Seeing the team passing through the city gate, the sergeant hurriedly raised the suspension bridge, and everyone had time to gather and rest.

"Captain, this is the jujube I brought from my hometown, you try it." A soldier who had just joined the army was clever.The little soldier took the opportunity to ask: "Captain? What did you just say?"

"You kid, you want to know a lot." The corporal took two or three jujubes from the helmet he was carrying without any politeness.

He chewed it over and over again and said: "Pengcheng King is the oldest among Shihu's sons, and he is known for his literary virtues. This throne is not His Majesty."

The little soldier also laughed and said: "It's no wonder that neither Shi Le nor Shi Hu, the emperors of the Jie clan, have done nothing. If they find a well-established residence, they are not as small as Shi Shi. My country of Zhao is almost like that of the Jin Dynasty. generally."

"Shh..." The patrolling general happened to pass by here, "You don't want to die, stop talking about state affairs."

Wu Chang glanced at the man, "It turned out that the captain was disrespectful and disrespectful." When the captain saw the captain coming, he didn't panic, patted the dust on his body, slowly stood up from the halberd, and said, " What's the matter? Is it okay to be relegated from the Dragon Guards in the palace to this point?"

"Stop talking nonsense, let's see if I will kill you who is bewitching people with your gossip." As he spoke, he almost wanted to pull out the sword from the scabbard.

"Boom, boom, boom." The war drum was beating, and the sergeant on the turret shouted: "The vanguard of Shi Zun's army has arrived at the city of Ye, hurry back to the battle position."

Sergeants stood up in twos and threes on the city wall, and the defense of Yecheng was like an old waterwheel, finally starting to run.

"Forgive you for the time being, I'm not returning to your position yet." The general said viciously.

"It's common sense to go to the funeral for my father, so why not refuse?" the corporal leader muttered.The corporal chief just looked at his sergeants standing there blankly, and shouted: "What are you looking at, the general said, return quickly."

"Hurry up, hurry up," at this moment a sergeant escorted Shi Yun up to the gate tower.Zhang Jack followed behind.

The pawn turned his head, and said to the corporal commander, "corporate commander, they actually put all the women up."

The chief sneered and said, "Zhang Jackal is at the end of his rope, what kind of skill is it to bully orphans and widowed mothers, and he made such a bad plan."

At this time, Zhang Jie ordered Shi Yun to be put on the crenel. Zhang Jie leaned over and looked out, only to see Shi Zun's army in the distance billowing in dust and banners blocking out the sun.The "Min" banner of the vanguard army fluttered in the wind.

Ran Min's vanguard army under the city stopped, and Ran Min hovered in front of Fengyang Gate and sighed: "'Fengyang Gate is halfway to the south, and there is a golden phoenix flying to call. If you want to go, you will be locked." The city of Ye is located in Hebei, and its grandeur is rare in the world."

Wang Tai stepped forward at this time, and said next to Ran Min: "'Flying your majesty's chariot to the west, and the three towers stand upright.' It's a pity that such a magnificent city is entrusted to no one."

Ran Min blamed the intertwined turrets and crenels next to him, looked at the tens of feet high city wall, and only sighed: "Since ancient times, we have attacked the city. Although our army is powerful, Zhang Jackal is defending the city. Siege may cause heavy casualties, and stealing is unwise."

"What the general said is true. Since ancient times, attacking the heart is the most important thing. I have spread a declaration saying that King Pengcheng went to the funeral for his father, not to seize the throne. Moreover, although Zhang Jackal was severely punished and the murderers were serious, all the guards dared not speak out. I The army's statement only punishes the chief villain, not the rest, and after some time, there must be great changes in the city."

"What Wang Tai said is reasonable, let's wait for now..." Ran Min only ordered everyone not to attack the city for the time being. At this time, Zhang Jackal held Shi Yun on the top of the city gate and shouted: "Listen, Ran Min below, look! Who is on the city wall?" Just as Ran Min was about to return to his horse and think about a strategy to retreat from the enemy and break the city, he saw the man on the city wall shouting, "Look carefully, if your troops leave Yecheng thirty miles away, I will protect the stone Yun will not die."

Wang Tai only bowed his hands and said: "General, beware of fraud, I don't know who is above?"

Ran Min wanted to ride his horse forward, but Wang Tai only glanced at the city wall, where the archers were aiming sharply at the city wall, bending their bows and nodding their arrows.

"General, don't go forward." Wang Tai stopped abruptly.

On the city wall, Zhang Jack was holding a knife on Shi Yun's neck, forcing him, "Speak up quickly, or you will be killed."

Shi Yun only looked at her sideways, and suddenly spat on his face for a long time, Zhang Jackal just wanted to cut it off, but his younger brother Zhang Xiong carefully dissuaded him: "Brother, we only have Shi Yun as a pledge to prolong the time. There is life in dragging.”

While "Beng" was talking, he saw a sharp arrow piercing the plaque on the city wall. Zhang Jacka just looked around. It turned out that Ran Min shot Zhang Jack with a strong iron tire bow, and he missed it by a few minutes. Shi Yun.

"Brother, it seems that holding Shi Yun hostage is not working."

Zhang Jack slammed on the city wall, "Oh, Shi Yun, if you think deeply about Ran Min, the Han people will not agree with me."

At this moment, Zhang Xiong shoved Zhang Jack, "Look, big brother, there are people on the wall who are roped down." Zhang Xiong pointed to the crenel next to him, where some soldiers were sliding down the rope to the ground to join Shi Zun .

Zhang Xiong and his entourage only stepped forward and said angrily: "What are you doing?" He stopped drinking and wanted to leave the pawn.

The corporal leader next to him shouted: "King Pengcheng came to attend the funeral, I should go out to meet him, I can't defend the city for Zhang Jackal."

Zhang Xiong was furious when he heard that, he just whipped the corporal leader with his horsewhip, "You bastard, see if I don't beat you to death."

The corps leader held his head and begged: "General Zhang, give the people below a way out. Shi's civil strife has nothing to do with me. Don't be someone else's cannon fodder. We just escaped."

Just as he was finishing speaking, suddenly, "Crack", a long knife was only pierced into the soldier's body, and he fell down. It turned out to be Zhang Jack, and shouted: "Anyone who dares to disturb our army's morale will be punished."

Immediately ordered the attendant: "Cut the rope!"

Accompanied by a shrill sound, the rope-climbing sergeant who was still coming down also fell to his death.

Looking at the corpses that fell from the city wall and the follow-up troops on guard inside the city gate, Zhang Li's subordinates were already furious.

One person said: "We are the guards of the Dragon Teng. That day Zhang Jackal slaughtered all the imperial guards in the palace. None of us, my nephews and nephews wanted him to do it. We couldn't defend him."

Immediately, someone echoed, "Yes, the late emperor had a last word for Shi Zun to assist the government, and now Shi Zun's army is on the outskirts of Yecheng, and I will be there to meet you."

Surrounded by his personal guards, Zhang Li boarded a wooden box, stood in front of Fengyang Gate and shouted: "Everyone who dares to speak falsely to meet Ran Min will be punished with death."

At this time, an elderly Long Teng guard beside him stepped forward to Zhang Li, "I have something to play at the end."

Seeing his respectful attitude, Zhang Li stepped down from the wooden box, and with one lunge, the dragon guard grabbed Zhang Li's neck and shouted: "Now Zhang jackal is doing the opposite, we can't defend the city for him, everyone, open the city gate." To meet Shi Zun."

Zhang Li's soldiers were helpless when they saw the commander being captured. One of them tried to resist, but he was killed by a dragon guard.The rest of the soldiers stood still.

The veteran who held Zhang Li hostage shouted, "Zhang left the city gate to lead Shi Zun."

Hearing this, everyone immediately understood and shouted.

"Zhang Li has thrown a stone at him."

"Zhang Li opened the city gate."

I only heard the old soldier beside him say: "General Zhang, the matter has come to this point. Now rejecting Zhang Jack is dead, and rejecting Shi Zun is also dead. Waiting for death, I hope the general will have a kind heart and let his subordinates have a way out."

Immediately, the veteran shouted: "The county guard's great favor has been repaid, I will go." Then he drew his sword and killed himself.

Zhang Li's eyes were soaked by the blood on his neck, only blood red, the sergeants from the camp gate had already moved over to the corridors on both sides.

"Who shot the arrow?" At this moment, Ran Min was yelling at him under the city.

Turning around suddenly, it turned out to be Wang Tai.

"Wang Tai, you." Ran Min was momentarily at a loss for words.

"How can the general abolish important matters because of a woman." Wang Tai said resolutely.Suddenly he pointed to the city gate and shouted, "Look, general, there is something strange about Fengyang gate!"

Ran Min saw that the city gate at Fengyang Gate had gradually opened.The garrison on the city wall was a little confused by the Longteng guards in the city, and he raised his double-edged spear and shouted: "All the troops follow me into Yecheng."

Ran Min's vanguard army took advantage of the gap to break into the city, pouring into Yecheng like a tide.Surrounded by all the generals, Ran Min rode through Fengyang Gate, on the city wall above, Shi Yun only looked at him.Ran Min only raised his head and looked at her for a moment, then looked straight ahead, and only shouted: "From today onwards, no one will be allowed to escape when entering Ye Palace!"

At this time, General Wang Luan of the Left Guard arrived on horseback, and declared: "King Pengcheng has a will. Ran Min has worked hard and made great achievements. Now that Yecheng has been destroyed, he should send his subordinates to move to rest."

Wang Tai said angrily: "Now that the city of Ye is broken, isn't the withdrawal of troops at this time a fruit for others to pick?"

"Are you going to disobey your orders?" Ran Min had already seen Shi Zun's army approaching slowly in the distance.

Ran Min only said: "Stop talking, report back to King Pengcheng, we are here to accept your call."

(End of this chapter)