But the bright moon shines on the ditch

On the eve of the fight, Xu Zhiliu and Sun Min briefly turned dry waves into jade silk and sat down for a deep talk.

To be honest, Sun Min had suspected at the beginning that Xu Zhiliu had fabricated the bandit out of thin air, just to give his death a name that would not be criticized.

But then he thought about it, Xu Zhiliu had fewer men than him. If that was really the case, he could kill Xu Zhiliu first before the bandits killed him, and he might not necessarily die.

So for Xu Zhiliu, wouldn't it mean that he would injure the enemy by one thousand and lose eight hundred by himself?

Of course, he would never have imagined that Xu Zhiliu really wanted to use the bandits to delay his patrol so that the people on the same boat could break the boat in Jingdezhen and go north.

However, Xu Zhiliu did not expect that the other party's power was much different from what Wu Yin said in his letter. When they met on a narrow road outside Peach Blossom Town, he was really startled. Fortunately, in order to guard against him, Sun Min had many first-class experts with him.

After the first confrontation between the two sides, Sun Min immediately sent someone to Fuliang County to deliver a message and arrange the manpower left there. Xu Zhiliu planned to gather the wealthy families in Taohua Town together and requisition their nursing homes first. They came to help defend the city, and then recruited the young and strong men in the town to join in the encirclement and suppression of the bandits. Unexpectedly, the other party raided again, catching them off guard, and directly lost the city's reliance, retreating to the canyon.

When they got there, he and Sun Min realized how serious the reality was.

Firstly, the opponent created a time gap in order to prevent them from having a chance to return to the town. This shows that the opponent is good at marching and is not an ordinary bandit. Secondly, the opponent has a large number of people and is far superior in numbers. It is far from ten. A few people can handle it. Last but not least, the area where they were besieged was backed by a natural chasm. From top to bottom, it looked like a giant cliff with no bottom. From bottom to top, it looked like a group of steep peaks that were unattainable.

Looking around, it looks more like an airtight cage. The cage reaches into the clouds, so deep that no bird can fly out.

The most skilled among them could only climb halfway up the mountain, and there was no way of knowing whether there was a way up there. With no way out and no way out, they seemed to have no choice but to defend and wait.

After three days of this, during several waves of small-scale offensive and defensive trials, they basically understood the opponent's tactics and the canyon terrain.

"If my prediction is correct, within a day or two, they will counterattack vigorously and take us down in one fell swoop."

It was impossible to kill them. After all, there were hundreds of Sun Min's men stationed in Fuliang County Government Office. It only took two or three days to get there after receiving the news.

"Then in your opinion, should we take the initiative to attack first, or should we continue to defend?"

"We haven't eaten for three days. We are already short of men and horses, and our forces are weak. It may be difficult to mobilize the morale of the attack." Xu Zhiliu drew something on the ground with pebbles, and then pointed to one place, "Our only advantage is here."

Although there is no way to retreat, because the canyon is deep, there are several cliffs that are narrow on the outside and wide on the inside, with blind corners of defense. It is difficult for the enemy to explore and hide when attacking. Once exposed, it will be within their sight. If you use long-distance shooting, you will be able to hit them in one hit.

In the past few days, they have made many simple crossbow swords and slingshots. When the time comes, they will order the guards to hide in the mountain walls, which will consume at least part of their troops.

"Why is the ambush point located here?"

"In the last few tests, the enemy had also gone deep into the canyon and had a good understanding of the terrain inside. He was not a reckless man, and would not have thought that we would take advantage of the terrain to ambush. Therefore, under the premise of limited manpower and material resources, the front We can only pretend to fight on several mountain walls, first demoralize the opponent, and then attack suddenly to kill them unexpectedly."

This is about a story about the boy who cried wolf.

After three times, no matter how excited the bandits were, they were almost exhausted. This was the best time to fight them.

"Have you ever thought about how angry people would be if they were teased one after another?"

“It’s only when you’re angry that you go wrong.”

"Abandoning the first few combat points will bring us closer to the hinterland of the canyon. At that time, we will have no way to retreat even if we want to."

"There is no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation, but there is only a glimmer of hope from the side."

Having said this, Xu Zhiliu looked at Sun Min. At a certain moment, Sun Min felt that those eyes looked like the same person. But soon, Xu Zhika withdrew his gaze.

Sun Min also guessed his intention: "What you mean is to use their anger to disrupt the formation, lure the enemy deeper with a wave of troops, and the rest will break out in the opposite direction."

"good."

There was a huge disparity in strength between them and the enemy, so it was impossible to rely on an ambush to win. The deeper they got into the canyon, the less likely they were to win. The only chance was to try to break out of the encirclement in reverse and leave the canyon at the moment the enemy was disrupted.

In order to increase the chance of winning, it is necessary to abandon a group of people and transfer firepower. So, who is left to lure the enemy? Who breaks out first?

This is a critical moment of life and death, which requires absolute trust and cooperation. No one can turn against the other party, otherwise they will surely die. At this point, both of them fell silent.

At this moment, they don't know that besides the bandits, there are others who want to buy their lives. This man has a golden sword and ambush where the reinforcements must pass.

After an unknown amount of time, Sun Min seemed to feel cold, so he added a piece of wood to the fire. The wind picked up, carrying sparks and flying in front of his eyes. Xu Zhiliu subconsciously stepped back.

Sun Min's dark eyes tightened and he looked intently. The exposed skin of the person opposite looked intact, with no burn scars. He felt that there was a lot of noise and that he was overly suspicious.

Also, how can someone who has been dead for countless years still be alive?

He calmed down a bit before asking: "Are you afraid of fire?"

Xu Zhiliu did not miss Sun Min's observation just now, and there was a hint of ridicule in the corner of his mouth: "If we still want to test and doubt each other at this time, I think it is best to give up as soon as possible and surrender."

Sun Min knew the angry words he said, so even if he pretended to surrender, he couldn't do it easily, otherwise how would he be seen if word got out? The other party is not easy to fool.

He changed the subject and said, "Have you read the book of war?"

Xu Zhiliu didn't hold on and replied: "I know a little bit."

He and Wu Yin occasionally played chess, and Wu Yin often discussed the art of war with him about chess and told him about the winning techniques of his predecessors. Wu Yin originally wanted to practice chess by playing chess to hone his ability in arranging troops, but in actual combat he always felt that his brain was not enough, and Xu Zhiliu would often see through his mind before he even made two moves.

For this reason, President Wu Yin said that if he leads troops to fight, he must be a good hand.

There were indeed many civil servants who served as military generals in ancient times. Outstanding ones such as Liu Bowen, the famous founding officials, Song Jinglian, etc., who was not a master who was not only good at poetry and calligraphy, but also understood astronomy and military art? It's a pity that Xu Zhiliu can be Zhou Qiguang, but Zhou Qiguang cannot be Xu Zhiliu.

In this life, he can neither be a civil servant nor a general. His dream was shattered as early as the day his father was framed and suffered unjustly.

"You are still young and have a lot of knowledge. Who do you study under?"

"My father."

"Oh? I didn't know there was such a capable person in the court. What is his name?"

"He is dead." Xu Zhiliu said, "He was killed by his former best friend."

Sun Min was startled, and then he was about to say something, but was interrupted by Xu Zhiliu, "You don't have to beat around the bush, I know what you want to find out. It's just who am I colluding with and what do I want to do?" Sun Min raised his eyebrows and applauded his cleverness. , also felt a bit regretful: "You have such ability, why do you have to succumb to others? Why don't you follow me and do something?"

"Following you means being subordinate to you?" He was arrogant and domineering. "What's more, your so-called career, isn't it just like an ant stalking you, conquering and extorting money?"

As soon as these words came out, a dozen guards behind Sun Min all flashed their swords! Xu Zhiliu Fang's killer was also as fast as lightning, firing his bows from left to right, forming an encirclement and confrontation with the opponent.

There was a stalemate between the two sides for a while, but the two shadows beside the fire remained motionless, smiling indifferently.

For a long time, through that face, Sun Min thought of a long-lost old friend. They don't look alike, but when they looked at each other for a very brief moment, Xu Zhiliu's eyes as quiet as mountains and seas, his casual posture, and his inner spirit were exactly the same as that of his old friend.

His mind swayed involuntarily.

This was the second time tonight that he thought of that family. Whether it was his father or his son, they once had a lump in his throat and had to be removed. Even if you regret it, if you can't use it for yourself, you can only get rid of it.

Thinking of this, Sun Min made a decision, and the night's conversation came to an end.

"In this case, I won't force you. It's important to get over the current difficulties first. If the bandits attack tomorrow, I will try my best to break out and fight a bloody path for you."

By saying this, he made a choice.

Xu Zhiliu was not surprised by this result. There was still a chance of breaking out, but it was hard to say if he was blocked in the canyon.

But does he have a choice?

He only brought a few people with him, and he was no match for Sun Min. If Sun Min hadn't relied on the possibility of his escape with these few people, he would not have said much to him. Of course he could disagree, but in order to prevent betrayal, Sun Min would kill him now, and then drag the gangsters on his back, and no one would be able to say no.

Therefore, without any negotiation resources, he can only be used as bait to lure the enemy deeper.

Judging from the terrain of the canyon, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack, the opponent will most likely attack during the day. The best time to kill is at the twilight hour of the day. The enemy is still sleeping. The moment the twilight jumps out from the horizon, the light of the sword and the sun are parallel. world.

So at the end of the night, no one really fell asleep. It seemed that they closed their eyes to recharge their batteries, but in fact, their alertness was raised to the highest level.

Dawn came earlier than they thought. Compared with elite troops who had never been on the battlefield, the killers always had a stronger intuition for what was happening in the distance.

The moment they heard a slight vibration on the ground, the killer made a gesture, and the people on both sides immediately held their breath and kept silent, trying to get their bodies as close to the mountain wall as possible, becoming one with the mountain.

The vanguard was already ready. As soon as the whistle blew, the enemy's tactics of trying to cover their tracks and creeping forward were seen through. Someone in the crowd yelled "fuck you" first, and an obvious uproar followed. The sound of weapons clashing.

In a moment, the rumble of horse hooves became louder and louder, galloping between the canyons. As the terrain extended, it caused the ground to shake and the mountains to shake.

Xu Zhiliu and Sun Min each held a side of the mountain wall, looking at each other from a distance through the hazy white mist lingering on the top of the mountain. They knew each other well that the moment when the enemy's patience was exhausted and they swung their swords in anger was the real beginning of their contest. .

After that, it doesn't matter your identity, life or death.

The winner is determined.

/

It rained in Jingdezhen that night.

Liang Peiqiu looked at the rain under the eaves, and the raindrops wrapped around her heart densely. She held a letter in her palm, which was sent by Wu Yin just now. In fact, the person who sent to Fuliang County Government to inquire about it at noon came back and explained the situation to her.

The bandits are coming fiercely. Xu Zhiliu and Sun Min are trapped in Taohua Town, and the situation is not good. Wu Yin said that Fei Ge had informed Xu Zhiliu of this matter a long time ago. She didn't know why he still wanted to leave the city and asked her if she had other plans.

She was in a mess, never expecting that Xu Zhiliu would risk using bandits to hold Sun Min back. Except for Ju Jiu and Guanyin Ci, he never said anything about being a bandit!

Damn it, Liang Peiqiu cursed that person bitterly. She didn't dare to think about any bad results, she just thought about how to make him look good when he came back!

She thought about it in a thousand ways, and after thinking about it, she still came back to her eyes.

Yesterday, the Guanyin porcelain was immediately sent to the capital. We didn't take the water route this time because we were afraid of being delayed on the way. The general manager was very confident, saying that he had used the fastest Pegasus Order and would reach the palace within ten days.

So, what can she do next?

What else could she do for him?

Liang Peiqiu kept thinking and thinking for almost half the night, and couldn't stop coughing. When wiping the blood from his lips with a handkerchief, he also wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.

She got up and walked outside.

Xu Zhong was getting older now, and he was a light sleeper and didn't sleep much. When Ah Yao lightly knocked on the door of the house, he woke up immediately. As soon as he opened the door, he was hurriedly pushed in.

The rain that hit his face dispersed with the wind through the open door. With the weak light of the candle, Xu Zhong could clearly see the person coming.

"Why are you here in the middle of the night?" Xu Zhong quickly looked outside, closed the door lightly, glared at Ah Yao fiercely, and then led the person inside.

Liang Peiqiu ignored the moisture all over her body and quickly explained the situation, and then said: "Now that An Jiu is not in town, it is the perfect time to do something. Based on the belief that the Wind and Fire Temple will perform "Fishing and Killing the Family" again, Once you draw the bow, never look back.”

Xu Zhong felt his chest shake and his blood boil. They had been waiting for this day for so long that they almost forgot that this was their original conspiracy.

That night, in order to protect the Hutian Kiln and Anqing Kiln from being snatched away by the eunuchs, Wang Yu decided to take the lead and help Liang Peiqiu surrender. To show his sincerity, Xu Zhong promised that after being released from prison, he would use alcohol as a cover to quietly gather people with lofty ideals, Tao Hui. Wait.

Others looked at it and saw that under the increasing pressure from the eunuchs, Hutian Kiln had already given up its struggle and lost its glory as the number one private kiln in the world. In fact, this was exactly their strategy.

With Liang Peiqiu at the forefront, the new favorite of the eunuchs, running amok, who would pay attention to the increasingly depressed Hutian Kiln? Who would take Xu Zhong, an incompetent old man, seriously?

The blood of struggle naturally flows in the bones of Jingdezhen villagers. The successful experience of their ancestors tells them that if the eunuchs are tyrannical, the people will do the opposite.

When the Three Kiln and Jiuhui were abolished, a group of kiln owners who had been bullied by the eunuchs stood up and reported the evil deeds of Xu Daren and others to Duke Yang. This was Xu Zhong's contribution.

Nowadays, under the Qing government, there is no shortage of brave men. Everything needs an opportunity and a starting point.

In ancient times, children died in kilns, but what happens today?

Liang Peiqiu left quickly, and Ah Yao sent her to an inaccessible wall in the side courtyard. He watched her expertly dig out a dog hole and get out, with her mouth almost wide enough to swallow an egg.

"You, you, you, that's how you got here?"

Liang Peiqiu laughed at her for missing the point: "Shouldn't you be curious about why I know about your dog hole?"

Ah Yao slapped his forehead, yes!

How could Liang Peiqiu tell her that Wang Yunxian controlled the dog cave in Panjing De Town. If something hadn't happened suddenly, she wouldn't have used this method easily. Fortunately, it was still dark and it was raining, so no one noticed her all the way here.

What she didn't know was that after she separated from Ah Yao, a figure appeared under the wall. Looking at the dog hole, its rough and weathered face gradually turned into ice. (End of chapter)