first minister

The shouts of killing and the passionate beating of drums in the sky spurred the sergeants outside the city to once again risk their lives and launch an attack on the city head one after another.

What keeps them going into battle with their heads up and fighting hard is no longer for the illusory reward of being the first to change their fate, but just to see when they can crack the hard bone that has killed countless of their brothers. .

On the city wall, almost all the soldiers guarding the city were supported by faith.

This city has not lost so many dead brothers, so it cannot be lost in our hands!
Zhang Hu knocked over an enemy soldier who was trying to rush up the city wall with his shield. Then he looked in the right direction and threw the body directly towards the figure on the ladder. He saw that it hit the two people again and smiled with satisfaction.

But as soon as he turned his head, his expression suddenly changed. He saw that the sergeant beside him killed an enemy soldier with a knife, but another man quietly climbed up behind him and silently waved the knife towards him.

It was too late to rescue. As soon as the word "be careful" came out of his throat, a figure that was half lying on the ground suddenly jumped up, hugged the enemy soldier by the waist, and took advantage of the momentum to fly down to the city with him. head.

Looking at this scene that has been seen frequently these days, Zhang Hutou's eyes still couldn't help but turn red, and he cursed angrily: "It's a war! Why are you so distracted! Be smart!"

The young sergeant wiped away his tears and roared towards the enemy.

The military soul is condensed and passed on in these rescues and deaths. If they can survive, these people will be the backbone of a strong army.

But the premise is that they must survive.

On the other side of the city wall, a masked general and his personal guards kept sweeping through the most damaged section of the city wall, using astonishing force and acumen to drive down the enemy troops that kept pouring onto the city wall.

There were fewer and fewer guards around him, and there was no expression on the face covered by the mask. Only drops of sweat flowed down the lower edge of the mask in the cold winter wind.

When the sound of Ming Jin withdrawing his troops came again, the tide receded, leaving behind corpses all over the ground.

Almost everyone sat down on the spot, so tired that even their fingertips were numb.

The prefect organized women, children, old and young in the city to come to the city wall to distribute food and carry corpses.

After taking a breath, Zhang Hutou stood up and came to sit next to the masked general.

He gnawed on the steamed bun in his hand and silently looked at the continuous camp on the opposite side from the gap in the city wall.

He didn't know if he could repulse the enemy's next attack, or rather, he didn't want to know.

"Don't look, we're probably going to die here."

The masked general's words sounded from the side with a strong sense of exhaustion.

Zhang Hu turned his head to look at him. After just two or three days of getting along, his view of this mysterious man had completely changed.

Not only was the opponent's fighting skills proficient and powerful, but his commanding skills were even more extraordinary. He commanded the garrison of only 2000 people in an orderly manner, which led to the stubborn resistance in the past three days.

More importantly, when the enemy made it clear that they were surrounded by three and one missing, and wanted to undermine the fighting spirit of the people in the city, he refuted the eunuch's order to force everyone to stay and suggested that everyone who wanted to leave should be allowed to leave.

So, on that dark and windy night of the month, the city gate quietly opened, and the fleeing wealthy gentry rushed out of Changshan County City under the cover of darkness.

Then, just ten miles out of the city, they encountered a group of cavalry who wiped out their entire family.

After all the property was looted and corpses were left everywhere, no one asked about fleeing and taking refuge.

The gentry who rushed to leave sacrificed hundreds of lives, and the people who fled back in panic used what they saw with their own eyes to unify the thoughts of everyone in the city.

Only Zhang Hutou knew that those people were pretended to be subordinates brought by the man in front of him.

And the other party had no intention of hiding anything from him, as if he was giving him a vivid lesson in leading an army and becoming a general.

"You are a talent, you can't die here."

Thinking of this, Zhang Hutou's blood-stained face said with full seriousness, "You should do bigger things."

"Bigger things?"

The masked general laughed at himself and shook his head slowly but firmly, "I've already missed it once, and I can't make it a second time."

Zhang Hu pursed his lips. He knew that the so-called fault of the person in front of him might be the reason why he wore a mask and ended up here.

However, just because he was guarding here, killed countless rebel enemies, and blocked the rebels from rushing into Langya State. With such a great contribution, what mistake can't be forgiven?

Seeing the other person biting the steamed bun in his hand calmly, he was so angry that he bit the steamed bun in his hand fiercely.

After his mind gradually calmed down, he spoke again: "We have fought side by side for three days and lived and died together. How can we be considered good brothers? We are going to die tomorrow anyway. Show me what you look like behind the mask?"

The masked general turned to look at him and shook his head slightly.

Zhang Hutou let out a laugh, "You are so naughty. It's not a big deal. What can you do if you just take a look at it?"

The masked general smiled and said, "When I die tomorrow, you can uncover it again."

Zhang Hutou sighed helplessly, and then he was stunned and said in a low voice: "It would be unreasonable for a person like you to die in front of me."

The masked general lowered his head slightly, turned to look to the side, and said softly: "The governor is here."

Zhang Hu looked over and was about to stand up when the governor of Changshan County quickly waved his hand, stepped forward quickly and held him down, "Thank you for your hard work, two generals. Please rest for now."

He no longer acted like a civil servant and just sat down on the city wall.

Almost visible to the naked eye, he was frozen stiff by the cold ground.

Zhang Hutou didn't have much of a gloating smile in his heart. He even felt a little moved when he looked at the sunken-socketed, haggard and elderly prefect.

He was looking at the prefect, but the prefect was looking at the masked general.

Today, the prefect has already realized that this person is not a central figure, and there are no reinforcements after him.

But he didn't expose it, because the other party really led them to fight in a bloody battle. The hundreds of brothers who came with him are now dead and wounded, and only a hundred can still fight.

No matter who he is, the governor has no intention of pursuing him further.

"General, go ahead and take your brothers away tonight."

The prefect spoke softly, "As a prefect, I have the responsibility to guard the land. Captain Zhang also has a duty, but you don't owe me anything here."

The masked general couldn't remember how many times he shook his head. He looked at the prefect, "It is true that I have no duty to stay here. But I am also a citizen of Daxia. Dongfang Ping colluded with foreigners to invade our country, and all the people of Daxia The people all have the responsibility to rise up and resist, and they all have the ambition to sacrifice their lives for the country, so there is no reason to retreat. If you can die here with complete loyalty, your life on this earth will not be in vain."

He stood up slowly, supported the top of the city, looked down at the city, pointed at the brightly lit military camps, turned to the two of them and said: "Since we are destined to be bitten to death, before we die, let's fight one more time and collapse." How about a tooth from this traitor?"

"Okay! Fuck it!"

"Yes, enter that mother's house! Even though I am a scholar, I cannot lose my pride!"

As soon as the words fell, the three of them looked at each other and smiled, feeling proud.

On the road to hell, there are heroes accompanying you, so why not be afraid of death!
The three of them discussed some more things, and were about to go down to prepare, when suddenly a sergeant rushed over, crawling on the ground.

"My lord, general, reinforcements. Reinforcements are coming!"

The three of them were suddenly startled, and immediately their faces showed genuine joy.

Can live, no one wants to die.

Even the masked general is no exception!
The city gate slowly opened, and a group of about 2000 elite cavalry, weathered by the weather, entered the dilapidated Changshan County.

When he saw the leading general, amid the deafening cheers of the gentry and people in the city, the masked general's expression suddenly changed. He lost his balance and almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, Zhang Hu had quick eyes and quick hands to pull him away. live.

Xia Yunfei, who led the leading cavalry and came all the way day and night, dismounted from his horse and helped the eunuch up. "Your Majesty, you have been able to hold off the rebel cavalry for five days in an isolated city. It is amazing! You have made a great contribution to the overall situation of the country! Now that the reinforcements have arrived, There are a lot of people behind us, so you have nothing to worry about!"

The words that I thought would bring great joy to the other party received a slightly strange and hesitant response from the prefect.

The other party came closer and smiled bitterly: "General, there is no need to deceive, as long as you can come. It doesn't matter whether we have reinforcements or not. With these two thousand soldiers of yours, we can confidently hold off the thieves for a few more days."

Xia Yunfei was stunned and said speechlessly: "What did I lie to you about?"

As he spoke, he took out the central documents and general's seal, as well as a letter from the Prefecture Mufu. After checking and confirming that these were indeed imperial reinforcements, the governor of Changshan County almost jumped for joy.

He happily prepared to go about all kinds of things to take care of the wind and wash the dust. He didn't want Xia Yunfei to refuse directly. After asking people to arrange for the soldiers to rest, he took the three of them to climb the city wall, inspected the city defense completely, and directly went to the prefect. The government convened everyone to discuss matters.

"Brother, what's wrong with you?"

Walking into the prefect's mansion, Zhang Hutou finally realized something was wrong with his new good brother and asked.

The masked general shook his head, "It's okay, I just relaxed suddenly and was a little tired."

Who are you fooling? You can't find a better one even if you look for excuses. Zhang Hutou muttered in his heart, and just as he was about to speak, a strong man came to the side, "Captain Zhang, I have General Xia's bodyguard, can you allow me to be alone?" Have a word with this general?"

Zhang Hutou showed hesitation, but he didn't expect that the masked general seemed to have let go of something at this moment. He stood up straight again and waved his hand, "Brother Zhang, go ahead, he and I are old acquaintances."

When Zhang Hutou walked aside, Chen Fugui said softly: "Before leaving, the young master said that if I could meet you here, please ask me to bring you a message." "What words?"

"You can't remonstrate the past, but you can chase after the past. What's past is past, at least for him and the people around him. As for the future, everything depends on you."

Chen Fugui paused and then said: "Since you can come here, it means that you have made the right choice, and he has made the right decision."

The masked general was silent for a moment, "Okay."

"Also, what is your name now?"

The masked general took a deep breath and said, "Xie Chongsheng, courtesy name Cheng'en."

Chen Fugui raised his fists and bowed, "Thank you, General, for your hard work! I admire you!"

Xie Chongsheng, or Xiao Fengshan, this man who once crossed mountains and seas, and also passed through mountains and seas of people, who once had everything, and then all was gone like smoke in the blink of an eye, at this moment, because of a light word of gratitude and respect, there is a feeling in his nose. A sour feeling.

A moment later, in the hall, when Xiao Fengshan and Zhang Hutou walked towards the main hall of the Prefect's Mansion, Xia Yunfei was already standing at the foot of the steps to greet them. He cupped his fists and saluted them, "Thank you for your hard work!"

The worries in Xiao Fengshan's heart disappeared, and at this moment, he felt more relaxed than ever before.

Everything is just like when he followed Wu Dangjun and Brother Jiang to fight in the northern Xinjiang, simple and passionate.

Everyone entered the room and sat down. Xia Yunfei, who was invited to the main seat, was not humble and his style was very direct. He spoke without courtesy and said: "Most of the main force is behind us. I will lead the light cavalry first. I thought the war was already over. Zhoucheng, but I never thought that when Zhoucheng heard that you had blocked the enemy's army in Changshan County, I was both happy and worried, fearing that you had not blocked it. So I didn't stop and rushed directly to attack. Fortunately, I didn't have time. "

His face showed sincere appreciation, "Don't worry, I, along with His Majesty's General Order and the Central Government Order, have asked the city to immediately allocate grain and grass soldiers to lay down layers of defenses on the enemy's southward path after Changshan County. Changshan County is in You haven’t lost anything in your hands, and now that I’m here, I won’t let him lose it!”

"We are not seeking a quick victory this time. We just want to hold down the rebels first and buy time for the court to counter the rebellion and recruit troops. As time goes by, if the rebels are gone and our court is fully prepared, then great things will happen. No worries!"

The prefect was very happy after hearing this. His previous desperate resistance and tenacious fighting had finally yielded results. If he could hold on to the city, his majesty and the central government would definitely be rewarded!

Zhang Hutou was also very happy, not only because he could get great military glory, but also because he didn't have to sacrifice his life for the country.

Only Xiao Fengshan said calmly: "General Xia, the cavalry you brought this time are all elite cavalry, and there seem to be some even more elite Wudang troops among them. If the rebels come to attack tomorrow, wouldn't it be a waste if they are all used to defend the city? ? What's more, the enemy is just slacking off now, but now that they know that reinforcements are coming to the city today, they will definitely release their rangers. How can the infantry enter the city safely without the protection of our own cavalry? "

As soon as these words came out, everyone's expressions changed slightly.

No one blamed Xiao Fengshan for not understanding the current affairs and losing his interest, because in the battlefield, one careless move could lead to death, so everyone had to be cautious.

And what he said is very reasonable. Letting these elite cavalry defend the city and compete with the opponent is just like plowing the ground with a sword that sharpens iron like clay. It is a waste of natural resources!
Especially at this moment when every soldier is extremely nervous.

The most important thing is that if the other party learns of the arrival of reinforcements, they, who are already on the verge of becoming violent, may have to finish their work in one battle. If they attack the city again sleeplessly and night after night, these 2000 people will be nothing more than It’s just an extra human life filled in.

Compared with the prefects and captains in the city, Xiao Fengshan, who had experienced with the Wudang Army and personally experienced the power of elite cavalry shock tactics in front of Sishui Pass, knew that these two thousand included some of the Wudang Army's cavalry. precious.

That was the hope of turning the tide of the war. If they wanted to truly resist the enemy forces including the Beiliang Cavalry and the Swift Cavalry, without this matching cavalry, they would always be passive on the plains of Langya Prefecture. To deserve a beating.

Seeing everyone's sad expressions, Xia Yunfei smiled slightly and said, "General Xie raised this question very well. I led the vanguard and was worried about this on the way here. Fortunately, we have a way."
-
Opposite Changshan County City, in the Chinese army's tent, the atmosphere was depressing and tense.

Several lieutenants who were so loyal to Dongfang Ping that they even left their families behind to follow him had angry expressions on their faces.

"Your Highness! We can't go on like this! If we continue to fight like this, my subordinates will almost be killed!"

"Yes, Your Highness, although Changshan County is important, we don't have to take it. They just use this small number of troops and leave only 2000 or [-] people. It's okay for us to take a long way and rush into Langya State!"

Dongfang Ping pursed his lips and was not angry at the excitement of his subordinates. "We have already said the reason before. Gu Ye wants to lead the troops directly into Zhongjing and send troops to Sishui Pass. But the problem is, if we cannot guarantee our retreat, How to plan the food and fodder for the army? Once the escape route is cut off, how can we get back to Swift?"

He sighed, "It's not that I want to fight against this Changshan County, but once Changshan County doesn't fight or fails to win, the people behind will have confidence and the will to resist. If so, even if we Zongheng Township Yes, but every city is not in our hands, can this territory be considered ours?"

"Just like in Yuyan Prefecture, everything depends on a general trend. When we sweep in, the prefecture and city surrender under our plan. Do the other counties still have the will to resist? Only in a few days can we sweep the whole country. State. If the first step into the Langya State fails now, will the Langya State still be so easy to fight?"

"For today's plan, we can only break the city, break it at all costs, and then loot the city for three days to feast on the soldiers, young and old, and to shock others. Only then can Langya Prefecture be defeated by the wind, and dare not A situation of resistance.”

Although some people think that the failure to defeat Changshan County does not mean that the other counties cannot be defeated, and if they go straight to the state capital, they may still be able to fight, but since their coach and His Highness has spoken, he is basically in the army. There were still some orders and prohibitions, but no one said anything.

A man with a horse-faced face said slowly: "Your Highness, there is something that is stuck in my throat and I won't be able to spit it out."

A rough man looked at the people around him and said, "What do you mean?"

The people next to him had a sullen face and ignored him.

Dongfang Ping, who had already guessed what he was going to say, nodded, "Say."

"We are also elites of the border army. We are no weaker than the Beiliang people, and we are not inferior to them. Now the people of the Swift Army have been driven by us and have suffered heavy casualties. We have also killed and injured many of our brothers, but what about the Beiliang people? They keep saying it. Why are they not good at attacking the city? The rangers are on guard for us. However, they did not stop the first raid of a thousand reinforcements. This time, the reinforcements arrived again and they did not stop them. What are they doing? If they are like this I don’t think his attitude is as good as that.”

The man who became more and more angry as he spoke finally swallowed his last words under the increasingly cold eyes of his coach.

Dongfang Ping hummed, "I understand what you are talking about. The Beiliang people really didn't do enough this time. You don't need to say more. I have to go find them myself."

He took advantage of the situation and stood up, "Now that we have talked about it, I will go find General Murong and talk to him."

Murong Hu, the general of the Northern Liang Falcon Cavalry, leaned on the soft cushions, holding a plundered beautiful girl from the Southern Dynasties in his arms. He looked at Dongfang Ping who walked in menacingly. He glanced sideways and said calmly: "Your Highness, this is Is something wrong?"

This sentence was like a basin of cold water poured on Dongfang Ping's head, forcing him to calm down. Dongfang Ping's arrogance immediately subsided and he stood in the tent with no one around to give him his seat, as if he was a soldier who came to see Murong Hu. General humiliation.

Seeing the dignified prince of the Southern Dynasty and the commander-in-chief of the First Army, looking so useless now, the guards on the side felt a little ashamed for him, but Dongfang Ping himself didn't seem to feel that way.

He just stood there and said, "General Murong, tonight the scouts from Changshan County have heard that reinforcements from Changshan County have arrived and have entered the city."

Murong Hu's expression remained unchanged and he put his hand directly into Mei Jiao Niang's arms for warmth, "What next?"

Dongfang Ping whispered: "You promised the Beiliang Army not to attack the city that day, and that you would send rangers to sweep the outside for us. Now even reinforcements have entered the city, and our scouts discovered it."

"Ok?"

Murong Hu made a sound of displeasure from his nostrils, and then said: "Your Highness, are you blaming me?"

"Xiao Wang dare not."

Under Murong Hu's power, Dongfang Ping could no longer regain the dignity he had lost since he chose to cooperate. He did not dare to offend his future supporter, and he considered: "It's just that there are many unreasonable people in the camp. I hope The general's top priority is to stabilize the morale of the army and send out at least two to three thousand rangers every day to prevent the imperial army from coming for reinforcements and causing the overall situation to be lost."

"I'm going to do what I'm doing, why do I need your guidance!"

Murong Hu snorted subconsciously, but he immediately regretted it.

Because he saw Dongfang Ping narrow his eyes when he heard this, and there was a light shining in his eyes that made him feel dangerous.

In the face of interests, Dongfang Ping wants to rely on Beiliang's power, so he is willing to grovel in front of him. However, once he becomes too domineering and causes substantial damage to his grand plan, then he may turn back into the person he once let him be. He did not dare to underestimate the Swift Tiger General.

Just when Murong Hu was thinking about how to ease the situation in a less embarrassing way, a report from a messenger sounded outside the door.

Murong Hu felt like he was being pardoned and said quickly: "Come in!"

The messenger walked in, but it was a sergeant from the Swift Army.

He knelt down on one knee towards Dongfang Ping and handed out an envelope in his hand.

"Your Highness! Changshan County has just sent a letter of challenge!"

Dongfang Ping raised his eyebrows and immediately took it and opened it.

[Prince Yongjun is fighting inward. Could it be that he relies on his own strength and deceives no one in my court?The reinforcements of our general have arrived today, and we will go hunting with His Highness later tomorrow. We will report the heads of the Beiliang barbarians and the Yuyan rebels to the people who died in Changshan County. I think Prince Yong will not disappoint this general.Xia Yunfei. 】

Dongfang Ping handed the letter to Murong Hu, who craned his neck with a curious look on his face. Murong Hu took a look at it, and immediately slapped the table with a half-truth and a half-half falsehood, and said excitedly: "It's exactly what I want!"

He looked at Dongfang Ping and said, "Your Highness, don't worry. Tomorrow I will order all our warriors. Together with Your Highness, we must annihilate all the enemies!"

Dongfang Ping smiled and nodded, "That's how I thank General Murong."

Murong Hu laughed loudly, "No need to be polite! I was worried that it would be difficult for them to hide in the turtle shell without coming out. Since I dare to come out to fight, I just want to let them know how powerful my Beiliang Jingqi is!"

Early the next morning, the entire rebel camp was in motion.

After burying pots to make rice and arranging the ordnance, everyone in the camp was also very excited. After so many brothers died in frustration under the city wall, they could be considered to have a chance to fight in the field.

This time, I want to let out the bad breath that has been pent up for many days!
As a result, the rebels, who were excited and had military morale, and the Beiliang Army, began to form formations in front of the camp at Sishi.

Just after noon, more than 3 troops and horses had already set up a huge formation, looking at the Changshan County City opposite with a high-spirited battle.

Then, this look, this wait, will wait until the end.

In the huge Changshan County, not a single soldier came out at all. It was as if everyone in the city died overnight, and there was no movement at all.

Dongfang Ping, who was impatient to wait, frowned and called two sergeants to call for formation. After a while, a response came from the top of the city.

"My general had too much wine at the reception last night and overslept. Come back tomorrow!" (End of Chapter)