Under the sky

Chapter 195

An indescribable look flashed across Mrs. Chu's face.

Shen Yongci continued: "Tell Mr. Fu that Yu'er was seduced by Xie Gubai and committed the crime of seizing power. Mr. Fu will kill Xie Gubai and won't reveal anything about you. And Ye Jingde, I guess. Shen Lianyun's hand."

"I didn't tell Yu'er about this, no." Shen Yong said, "You are right, they know the secret of Qingcheng. Once it is leaked, Qingcheng will be destroyed, and the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Qingcheng will be at stake. Even if it is a ten thousandth risk, we can’t take it, they can’t stay, but Yu’er’s temperament won’t be ruthless.”

"Even I didn't expect it, Jingtan. You didn't understand before, but now you understand that some dirty things have to be done. I am the same, we are all the same, we are all for this family and Qingcheng."

Mrs. Chu pushed Shen Yongci away and asked, "Do you have a way to kill Xie Gubai?"

"I have to go out first before I can kill Xie Gubai and Zhu Menshang." Shen Yongci said softly, "You don't want Yu'er to know about this, right? Let me do it. Yu'er can hate me, but she can't. you."

"This is my last responsibility to this family." Shen Yongci almost begged, "Jingtan, believe me for the last time, please."

"You have nothing now. Almost all of your cronies have been exterminated by Yu'er. What can you do if you go out?" Chu Jingtan asked, "If you want to give advice, your son will come to say hello every day. If you truly repent, you don't need to go out." I can help my son.”

"After all, I have been the leader." Shen Yong said, "Some people will still listen to what I say."

Chu Jingtan was silent for a long time and said coldly: "Master Ya will not give up if I let you go out."

Hearing his wife's relaxed tone, Shen Yong said: "This matter is not difficult to handle. My eldest brother has strong martial arts skills. Although he has an impatient temper, he is also a capable person, as long as there is someone to help him. Let Yu'er send him out to perform meritorious service, and then let me go when he is free. Leave and he won’t mind.”

"How about you ask the eldest brother to come see me, and I'll apologize to him." Shen Yong said, "We are brothers, husband and wife, father and son, and a family. Is there anything we can't overcome? Jingtan... wait until these things are over. , I left Qingcheng with you to go sightseeing. You haven’t been back to Emei for a long time. I went to visit the tomb of your master Hui Yi and meet your senior sisters and brothers. Your senior sister in charge will be happy to see you. We are on the way. When I go to Qingcheng Mountain to visit my ancestors’ tombs, I want to kowtow to them and apologize.”

"You always say that you miss the magnificent yellow sands of the desert back then. I laughed at you because you missed Master Zhuge. You lost your temper and wanted to beat me. We were eating crabs in Jiangsu and agreed to go, but you became pregnant with Yu'er. This delay Just over twenty years ago.”

"We went to Songshan Mountain to see the Buddha's birthday and to burn incense at Zhongyue Temple. We will be able to do things that we didn't have time for before. I don't want anything anymore, Jingtan. When this war is over, we will be really free and happy. We can take the biggest bus. Flower boat, ride the best horse, from the Yangtze River to the Yellow River, from the desert to the seaside, the sea and the sky are vast. You teach a few gangsters when you see injustice on the road, you are still the chivalrous heroine Chu Jingtan, and I will be the little follower of the heroine Chu. "

Shen Yongci hugged his wife's waist and said softly: "Feiye sent the message, Ming Feng confirmed the love, Shen Yongci is not a weak lover."

When Chu Jingtan heard him talk about the love poem, her eyes turned red, her body couldn't help trembling, and she remained silent. After a long time, she said: "You help Yu'er first. If you have no other intentions, I will find a way to let Yu'er Let you out."

Shen Yong said: "How do you want me to help?"

"How do you want to kill Xie Gubai?" Chu Jingtan asked, "He went to Wudang."

"I have a way to prevent him from coming back." Shen Yongci said, "Let's do it on their way back from Wudang. This will take time to plan and a lot of manpower."

"You have no one." Chu Jingtan shook her head, "Yu'er has controlled the entire Ba County, and no one will listen to your orders."

"What about outside Ba County?" Shen Yong said, "Qingcheng is not big, and there are hundreds of sects and sects under it. Don't I have a few close followers?"

"If the tree falls and the hozen disperses, those cronies will still listen to you? Why?" Chu Jingtan shook her head, "You are no longer the leader."

Shen Yong said: "They don't dare to rebel, but I wrote a letter saying that it was Xie Gubai who instigated the relationship between our father and son and asked them to assassinate Xie Gubai. Most of them would agree. Once Xie Gubai dies, Yu'er will be even more worried. You need to rely on me, and it will be convenient for you to persuade him."

Chu Jingtan said: "You should write to a few more trustworthy people. One of them is unwilling to help, and there are others. It is Yu'er who decides whether to let you go."

Shen Yong said: "As long as you beg for mercy, Yu'er will eventually agree to it."

Chu Jingtan said: "How to get the letter out? I have no reason to leave Ba County."

Shen Yong resigned: "There is Deng Youquan among the guards in the army. Like Zhang Qing, he is my confidant."

"Can you trust me?" Chu Jingtan asked, "What if he refuses to help, or has already run away?"

Shen Yongci named a few more names, wrote a letter and gave it to Chu Jingtan: "Test them. If they are still loyal to me, give the letter to them."

Chu Jingtan said: "Wait for my news." Then he left on his own.

■

Li Xiangbo was in a dilemma. The Huashan army had arrived. Should he fight or retreat?

Here is another question: is it the main force or the vanguard that is coming?If the number of people is small, they can still put up a fight. If they are the main force, the 2000 people of their own may not be able to resist.The first wave of spies who came back only said they saw the flag. The team was too long to judge the number of people, so they had to rush back to report first. He had to wait for the second batch of spies to report back.

Another question, was he discovered by the other party's spies?

Yonekura Road is steep and narrow. If the opponent can advance so quickly, it should only be the forward team.Li Xiangbo looked around and shouted: "Follow me!"

He decided to ambush.If he just retreats like this, Peng Tiancong will only look down on himself even more. Not only will it be difficult for him to trust him, but it will also be harder for him to make meritorious deeds.

He is going to win!
He sent someone to report back, and then led his army to hide in the dense forest. The men took off their armor and the horses took off their saddles, so that the disciples could have a good rest.

I hope these people haven't been detected by the other side's spies, he thought.Even if they are detected, the opponent cannot determine where they are ambushing, or whether they are retreating or attacking.

Charge and kill a wave of enemies and then retreat, he thought.This place is only one day away from Bazhong. If we can block it for one more day, it will give the people outside the city one more day to evacuate into the city. This is considered a military achievement.

He waited with bated breath, but there was no sign of the enemy until dark, and his pace seemed to be slowing down.

Has it been discovered?Or is it that the other party is very close to Bazhong and should be extra cautious?Li Xiangbo didn't know either. He ordered them to rest in the woods. They were not allowed to camp or start fires. The tents were spread on the ground to prevent moisture, and everyone had to eat dry food to support them for the night.

Until dawn, the spy suddenly came and reported: "Here he is, just fifteen miles away!" Li Xiangbo asked everyone to cheer up and hide behind the tree, just waiting for the other party to approach.

After waiting for about an hour, he saw a group of troops advancing under the banner of Huashan in a chaotic formation. Seeing the opportunity, Li Xiangbo shouted: "Kill!" At that moment, bows and arrows were fired rapidly, and Li Xiangbo suddenly led his troops to charge out.

Seeing the ambush, the Huashan disciples shouted and ran away, but they did not dare to fight.Everyone rushed to kill, and the Huashan Dizi cried: "Don't kill, don't kill! We are all common people!"

Li Xiangbo asked in surprise: "Common people?"

The group of "disciples" cried: "We are Nanjiang people who were caught by the Huashan disciples and forced to put on their clothes and explore the road ahead under their banner!"

Li Xiangbo was shocked and turned around to see flags flying not far away and arrows raining down like rain.

"Fuck, I've fallen into a trap!" Li Xiangbo shouted, "Avoid the arrow!"

A group of men and horses rushed down with the rain of arrows. Li Xiangbo shouted: "Fight!" One horse rushed forward first, and he raised his knife and killed two people.

There was a melee between the two sides. Li Xiangbo knew that the ambush was impossible and the morale of the army was unstable, so he could only take the lead and charge left and right.Seeing that the opponent was approaching fiercely and not knowing how many there were, they had no choice but to fight.

Suddenly, a spear came towards Shuo with a powerful force. Li Xiangbo knew that the person who came was a master. He was wearing leather armor and the color was different from that of ordinary disciples. He seemed to be a captain of a hundred men. When he tilted his head back, the sword was pointed at him. Split forward.The man was also highly skilled in martial arts. He twisted his waist to avoid it, fired his spear in a row, and held several spear flowers. The tip of the spear never left Li Xiangbo's chest. He was probably a disciple of the Shenqiang Sect.Li Xiangbo blocked the spear with his left hand and blocked it with his right. With a flick of his left hand, a cold light flew out. The two were very close to each other. The man was only wary of Li Xiangbo's sword. The knife penetrated the leather armor and went straight into his chest. Li Xiangbo took the opportunity to grab the spear and cut the man with one blow. The man fell off his horse, and when he raised his hand, a spear penetrated the chest of a soldier.

I am the most elite commander of the Jixiang Sect of the Wei Shu Army in Qingcheng. You, the captain, are nothing!

He beheaded a captain and felt refreshed. He immediately rushed towards another captain with the same color.The meteor hammer in the man's hand hit him in the chest. Li Xiangbo suddenly stopped his horse, jumped forward like an eagle, landed behind the man, and turned the knife back to cut the man's throat.

Seeing how brave the leader was, the Qingcheng disciples gained great momentum. Several captains shouted to charge, but they actually stabilized their formation and were able to kill the opponent for a while, unable to advance.

He ran away when he saw the situation. Just as Li Xiangbo was about to shout to retreat, a yellow-maned horse rushed towards him.I saw the man on the horse holding a long-handled mace, wearing heavy armor and a tasseled helmet, and his whole body was covered like an iron man. Li Xiangbo raised his left hand, and the flying knife came out. The man did not dodge, and the flying knife came out. Bounced away by armor.

Li Xiangbo was about to fight with the man, when the man's mount screamed suddenly, unable to support the weight, and fell to its knees. Li Xiangbo was overjoyed and thought it was an opportunity. He rode forward and was about to attack, when he saw the man's feet. As soon as he stepped on it, he landed steadily and walked toward him. He held the mace in both hands and swept it violently. Li Xiangbo couldn't stop his horse in time, so he quickly raised his left foot to avoid it. Suddenly he heard the mournful whine of his mount, and he felt his body tip over and fell to the right. go.

This hit actually knocked him and his horse to the ground. What kind of force was this?
Li Xiangbo immediately guessed who this person was—General Huashan, head of the Giant Spirit Sect, and "Giant God" Du Yinsong.

Li Xiangbo was almost crushed by the horse, so he jumped up and struck Du Yinsong with his sword.Du Yin roared like a thunderbolt in mid-air, the mace hit, and the knife and stick collided. Li Xiangbo felt a strong force pulling him unsteady. Looking at the knife again, he saw that it had been hit by the mace. bend.The wind was so strong that Du Yinsong hit his head for the second time.

Damn it, only a fool takes it hard!Li Xiangbo rolled forward and hit Du Yinsong with all his strength, but it seemed like he hit a wall. The opponent was not knocked down, but his arm hurt from the collision.

How thick is the armor on his body?Made of stainless steel?Du Yinsong bent his elbow and hit him on the back. Li Xiangbo turned around to avoid it, took out a knife and stabbed it into the gap in the armor at the knee. Du Yinsong raised his leg to kick, and the knife hit the armor, but it was completely useless.Li Xiangbo was kicked and rolled around twice. Du Yinsong took the opportunity to raise the mace and hit it down. Li Xiangbo turned over to avoid it. The mace made a big hole in the ground, just a few inches away from splitting his brain.

This man was wearing heavy armor. Although he was not very agile, he was definitely not slow.how to spell?Li Xiangbo hasn't figured it out yet.He was still slumping, rolling along the ground several times, and Du Yinsong's mace hit him one after another. As long as he moved a little slower, one hit would be seriously injured.

Several Qingcheng disciples held long spears and pointed at Du Yinsong. Du Yinsong turned around and swept away, beating one disciple to fractures all over his body, and before stopping, he knocked another one away.Although the spears of the other disciples hit him, there was almost no damage under the heavy armor. Du Yinsong swept the mace to the ground and swept up the two of them. One by one, three of the four disciples died in the blink of an eye. .

With this breath, Li Xiangbo picked up a spear from the ground and stabbed Du Yinsong in the face. Du Yinsong turned his head to avoid it.In the exchange of shots and hammers, Li Xiangbo's marksmanship was not very good. He relied on his agility to move around Du Yinsong. His spear never left his face. Du Yinsong swept across and struck directly. The mace weighing dozens of kilograms was lightly held in his hand. It must be like a bamboo broom.

Damn, I don’t believe you have endless strength!Li Xiangbo thought that he would have to fight until he was exhausted before he could have a chance to win.

While they were fighting, a stray arrow flew towards him. Li Xiangbo quickly dodged, revealing a flaw, and the mace hit his waist.Li Xiangbo couldn't avoid it, he blocked it with his spear, jumped back, and with a "pop" sound, the spear broke.Li Xiangbo's arms were numb, the mace swept across his waist, and a violent force swept him away.

It’s over!Li Xiangbo fell to the ground and felt his insides churning. The force from just the rubbing was so strong that his intestines had to be squeezed out of his butthole.

He wanted to get up and fight again, but there was a sharp pain in his waist, and he knew he had suffered internal injuries.Du Yinsong came forward, and he threw the last three flying knives, but Du Yinsong waved them away.

After being blocked for a moment, Li Xiangbo stood up and retreated, shouting: "Retreat! Retreat!" Du Yinsong rushed towards him. Li Xiangbo was about to engage in battle when a horse rushed out from the diagonal thrust. The man on the horse leaped high, The sword slashed down, drawing two horizontal and one vertical sword lights, the sword force was fierce and evil.Du Yinsong raised his mace to block him, and the fire flashed brightly. It was Peng Tiancong's eldest son Peng Nanying who came.

It turned out that Peng Nanying was leading his people to gather the residents. When he heard the news from Li Xiangbo that Huashan was nearby, he did not see Li Xiangbo coming back. He was worried and led his troops to come to meet him.Li Xiangbo knew that he was no match for Du Yinsong, so he picked up a knife from the ground and stepped forward to cover him. The two of them joined forces to force Du Yinsong back slightly.

Peng Nanying shouted: "Back off!" The two turned around and ran away.Compared with Qinggong, Du Yinsong was naturally inferior. The two found their horses and retreated. The Huashan disciples pursued them, but were blocked by random arrows.Li Xiangbo looked back and saw a young man standing on the hillside in the distance, wearing a small crown and a black robe, watching the battle from a high position. He didn't know who this person was, but he knew he must be an important figure in the enemy's army.

Li Xiangbo almost failed to accomplish his feat and was about to die here. Li Xiangbo shouted angrily: "Du Yinsong, I, Li Xiangbo, I will decide the outcome with you next time!" Then he ran away on horseback.Huashan chased them for a while before withdrawing their troops.

After this battle, Qingcheng collected the remaining soldiers and counted them, and found about [-] casualties.Li Xiangbo was looked at with his nose by Peng Tiancong for three days, and he was filled with resentment.

The Huashan army has surrounded Bazhong.

■

Chu Jingtan found Chang Buping and found out that the man named Deng Youquan was a squad leader of the Guards and was stationed at Ruyimen.She came to Ruyimen and asked, "Who is Deng Youquan?"

A man in his thirties walked out and said respectfully: "My subordinate Deng Youquan has met Mrs. Chu."

Chu Jingtan nodded: "Follow me."

Chu Jingtan took Deng Youquan to the courtyard, dismissed the guards, and asked him: "Are you loyal to Qingcheng or to the Supreme Master?"

Deng Youquan was startled and hurriedly knelt down and said: "Of course I am loyal to Qingcheng and the leader!"

Chu Jingtan looked at him and handed out a letter: "This is from the Grand Master to you."

Deng Youquan didn't dare to reach out to pick it up. Chu Jingtan said: "You are right if you don't dare to help the master. Then leave."

Deng Youquan saw Shen Yongci's handwriting and hesitated for a long time. Finally he took the letter and asked, "What are the orders from the Grand Master?"

Chu Jingtan said: "You will know after reading the letter."

Deng Youquan opened the letter, but it was a blank piece of paper. Just as he was puzzled, Shen Lianyun led people to break in and knocked him to the ground.Deng Youquan shouted loudly, but Shen Lianyun twisted and dislocated his jaw. Deng Youquan could only make a whirring sound, but Shen Lianyun sent people to drag him down.

"Ask him what he knows and if he has any companions." Chu Jingtan said, "I have already discussed this matter with the leader."

Shen Lianyun respectfully agreed and asked, "Does Mrs. Chu have any other instructions?"

Chu Jingtan asked: "How are you doing, Master?"

Shen Lianyun thought for a while and said: "Huashan violated the border, and the leader is worried about it day and night."

Chu Jingtan asked again: "Is there anything else?"

Shen Lianyun shook his head.

Chu Jingtan sighed: "The head is filial and won't tell mother if he has something on his mind. We have to do some things for him so he doesn't have to worry about it."

Shen Lianyun said: "My subordinates will try their best to relieve the master's worries."

Chu Jingtan patted Shen Lianyun on the shoulder and said warmly: "You and Chang Buping are both trustworthy people by the leader, so go ahead."

Shen Lianyun bowed respectfully.

When Chu Jingtan arrived at Qiantang, Shen Yuqing was waiting. When she saw her mother coming, she saluted and said hello.Chu Jingtan said: "We've captured them all."

Shen Yuqing nodded: "So, all of dad's cronies are gone, right?"

Chu Jingtan did not answer, and she was not sure how many people would be arrested to be sure that Shen Yongci would have no future troubles.Shen Yuqing thought of the changes in the past dynasties. Every time something similar happened, blood would be shed in the government and the public, with corpses strewn all over the ground, because the suspicion in her heart could not be eradicated.

But Shen Yuqing is not this kind of person.Besides, the invasion of Huashan was enough to make him miserable. At this time, if he doubted his subordinates and expanded the trouble, wouldn't he be destroying himself?

"Don't pay attention to the sects who are close to dad." Shen Yuqing said, "Give them some comfort, and they won't be in chaos when they realize that dad has lost power."

"I see that you have been very worried recently. Are you worried about the invasion of Huashan?" Chu Jingtan asked.

Shen Yuqing shook his head: "I just hope that my eldest brother can convince the leader of the boat. If the Han River is blocked, Bazhong can hold it, and Huashan will not be able to attack Qingcheng. Sooner or later, we will have to retreat."

Chu Jingtan nodded and asked, "Do you have anything else on your mind?"

"I feel a lot more at ease when I find dad's confidant." Shen Yuqing replied, "Mom, don't worry."

■

When Shen Yongci saw Chu Jingtan coming back, he hurriedly asked: "What happened?"

Chu Jingtan took out Shen Yongci's autographed letter and put it on the table. When Shen Yongci saw this, his thoughts suddenly changed, and he suddenly understood the reason, and said in shock: "You...you lied to me?"

Chu Jingtan sat down, looked at her husband's frightened and angry eyes, and said slowly: "You want to help Yu'er make suggestions, even if you say so, Yu'er will judge. You must understand that the current leader is Yu'er, what's going on? Yu'er has to make the decision."

"How did you become like this?" Shen Yongci sighed, "You even lied to me." He couldn't believe that the chivalrous girl who had always been sassy and unrestrained had become so scheming.

"Yong Ci, you are so embarrassed to say this." Chu Jingtan couldn't help covering her mouth and laughing.

Shen Yongci said solemnly: "Aren't you afraid that I will tell you about killing Xie Gubai?"

"Don't. In the next two or thirty years, we husband and wife will have to live together. Is it worth it to make our enemies bigger and glare at each other?" Chu Jingtan stood up and walked to her husband, looked up at Shen Yongci, and whispered softly He said, "You have already forced me to become the kind of person I hate the most..."

"Don't force me to become the person who hates you the most."

When Shen Yongci faced his wife, he was speechless. Maybe he had nothing to say, or maybe he didn't expect that he was deceived by his wife and even the last bargaining chip was cheated away.

Shen Yongci returned to the inner room. In the evening, Shen Yuqing came to say hello. He said he was not feeling well and needed to go to bed early.Shen Yuqing glanced at her mother, and Chu Jingtan said, "Come back in a few days. It's very embarrassing now."

After Shen Yuqing left, Chu Jingtan looked at the candlelight and took out two drawings from his arms. One was mottled and old, with an image of flames surrounding a chain, and the other was new paper, with a simple image outlined with a brush. , crooked, like flames surrounding a chain, but the writing is clumsy and specious, as if someone dictated it and then someone else drew it.

Chu Jingtan placed the two pieces of paper on the candle and lit them. The flames instantly engulfed the two drawings and turned them into a mass of indistinguishable embers.

(End of this chapter)