Chapter 98: Only thanks: "I think of Feng Kun"

The war situation took a turn for the worse and soon went from bad to worse.

When the war reached this point, it was no longer controlled by individual strength and will. The flames of war raged, and the entire battlefield was moving like a wheel towards Qingzhou. Wei's best efforts could only slow the advance. After a stalemate of about two or three days, it finally surged forward.

The entire Qingzhou was completely reduced to a huge battlefield. Two million soldiers and hundreds of thousands of horses trampled on each other in the battle. Wherever they passed, even the ground was lifted up into a thick layer. In an instant, the green wheat fields that had already formed ears of wheat were trampled and crushed into a mess. Soon, even the residue could not be seen, and they were completely covered with red and brown mud.

Tang Xianwang left 50,000 elite troops in Qingzhou, all of whom were on high alert and deployed at the weakest Tianshan Pass. They were caught off guard by an attack from behind and were instantly swept into the battle, where they were quickly torn to pieces.

It rumbled as it rushed towards the towns and villages, and in the middle of the night, people screamed and fled, and the screams were deafening. Qingzhou was not a big city, but it was not a small city either. A huge war lasted for seven or eight days. The whole Qingzhou was like a strong wind. Except for a few large cities with their gates tightly closed, there was almost no intact place.

——Everyone who knows how bad the economic situation has been in the north in recent years knows that there is no more food left. The harvest from the fields is the foundation for the survival of the entire Qingzhou military and civilians!

Tang Xianwang led his troops to rescue and intercept like crazy, and then the entire battlefield quickly got out of control.

He went off track, and the right wing collapsed. The million-strong Wei army began to retreat uncontrollably like an eagle with a broken wing. The eight combined armies were finally defeated!

The Northern Rong cavalry charged fiercely and were invincible at one point. The shock of the entire battlefield radiated outward from the right wing. All the military towns realized that something was wrong and consciously began to try their best to gather their troops. Each unit also subconsciously gathered towards the direction of its own central army flag. The fighting in each town began to ease, and there were even signs of retreating to protect themselves.

Wen Taishi was actually already seriously ill, having traveled extensively with the Central Army, sometimes even missing medicine. He forced himself to follow the main army into Qingzhou. At this critical juncture, the three major military governors of the Front Army, the Central Army, and the Imperial Army totaled a million troops. Only Wen Taishi immediately sent a large force to rescue Tang Xianwang's troops and the right wing.

In the bumpy carriage, the sparse white hair on Master Wen's forehead was almost gone, and his face was flushed. He couldn't even get out of the carriage. He tried his best to support half of his body and held the hands of Huang Zongxi and several generals who leaned forward, "... Go quickly, go, don't collapse." If he couldn't hold on, he would be finished.

Zhang Shen, Huang Zongxi, Song Liansheng, Chen Zhuojing, and Lu Liang, the five most capable generals of the court are all here. Even Zhang Shen and Huang Zongxi, who were in charge of the Southern and Northern Courts in the past, are leading their troops to the battlefield this time.

Wen Taishi's face was wrinkled with thousands of ridges and ravines and he looked very thin. His mouth was trembling and opening and closing like a fish out of water. Huang Zongxi and others shouted loudly, signed a military order on the spot, and immediately led the army to rush forward!

The imperial army of 400,000 rushed towards the easternmost right wing with shouts!

Hu Yande shouted: "You're just in time!"

The fierce battle shook the heavens and the earth, and the arrival of the imperial army instantly alleviated the collapse of the right wing.

However, no one expected that this was exactly one of Hu Yande's battle strategies.

Huyan De gritted his teeth and fought Tang Xianwang's troops and the imperial army for two days and one night. With a loud bang, the dike burst! Xun Xun, who had long ago dug up the bank and buried black gunpowder, ignited the fuse. With a loud explosion, the dike burst instantly.

Zhang Shen's troops noticed something was amiss and led his lieutenants to personally charge the embankment! Abandoning his horse, Zhang Shen charged recklessly, wounded by six arrows. Unfortunately, he was a step too late. Xun Xun, dressed in a black robe, stood by the embankment, his crossbow raised, his eyes narrowed, and he shot an arrow straight at Zhang Shen's heart.

The brief, intense fight lasted only a dozen breaths, but unfortunately, it was still too late. Xun Xun laughed heartily, leaped and turned, followed closely by his confidant. Meanwhile, everyone on the embankment was instantly thrown into the air by the blast.

Zhang Shen was covered in blood and fell heavily to the ground. Looking back for a moment, he saw earth and rocks flying everywhere and the turbid yellow river water rushing in. His eyes were bloodshot.

Zhang Shen, Huang Zongxi, Pang Huai and Long Zhun were different. They were the emperor's true confidants who were promoted by the old emperor. They were loyal and fought for him one after another. They even participated in strangling Feng Kun.

But when he saw the surging river, Zhang Shen suddenly doubted whether what he had done was really right?

…

The situation is very bad.

Hu Yande's battle strategy finally worked completely.

The entire battlefield was divided into two. Hu Yande let go of the others and swallowed up and strangled the original right wing.

A total of 500,000 soldiers and horses!

Because the various military towns in front subconsciously gathered and retreated slowly, the Northern Rong army did not pursue them too closely, and both sides of the battle gathered together again. Therefore, at the moment of the incident, there was no stalemate.

The Fengshui River burst its banks, instantly dividing the battlefield. The Beirong soldiers who remained on the left wing suddenly saw that they had succeeded, and immediately burst into excited shouts, "Haha, hey yo," and quickly retreated while fighting. They turned around and crossed the area covered by the broken dam, wading through the shallow water and rushing back, joining forces with the royal army to attack the right wing of the Wei army.

The right wing of the Wei army had been swept away from the battlefield and separated on the other side by the rolling muddy water. It was instantly surrounded by nearly one million strong troops of the Northern Rong.

Hu Yande shouted, "All troops, listen! Kill with all your might! Kill one enemy and you'll be rewarded with a beauty and five silver coins! Kill ten enemies and you'll be promoted one rank! Kill fifty or more and you'll be promoted five ranks! You'll be rewarded with tin and nobility, and the command of the army will be hereditary! All troops, share the same reward—"

With a loud shout towards the sky, the entire Beirong army was in an uproar!

Especially the 80,000 slave and half-blood vanguard. These people, once the inferiors and the victims of discrimination and indifference, finally got their chance to turn things around. From the beginning of the war until now, they were no longer used as cannon fodder, but equipped with armor and weapons, fighting and charging like crazy.

Xun Xun, who was standing on a small hill on the embankment overlooking the battlefield on the right wing, was so excited that tears filled his eyes.

He knew that Huyan De had originally come up with this policy of promoting half-men and slave soldiers for his own sake.

…

The situation on the battlefield took a sharp turn for the worse.

When the bad news from the right wing came, Master Wen felt a tightness in his heart, and the blood rushed to his head. In an instant, he coughed violently and spit out thick phlegm and blood.

He hunched over, curled up as if he was about to cough out his heart and lungs. Shang Rong and the others were horrified and rushed over, "Teacher! Teacher—"

Wen Taishi shook his head vigorously, "...Quick, cough, quick, send the order to save cough cough..."

Master Wen was horrified and despite his illness, he forced himself to stand up and hurriedly issued seven or eight military orders.

Then, no one was willing to rescue him.

It's too dangerous.

Gao Wei was the first to arrive. He was closest to the central army headquarters and faced the surging floodwaters and the deafening cries of killing. The imperial army and Tang Xianwang were already trapped in a tight circle surrounded by the Northern Rong army. The sound of killing was like thunder. The Heyang sentries climbed the highest mountain in the area to look down, trembling with fear.

"How can I save him? I won't save him! Whoever wants to save him should do it!"

The war had lasted over a month, with almost constant fighting. His troops were exhausted, and Gao Wei was covered in blood scabs and wounded. Most importantly, Gao Wei had driven the battlefield to Qingzhou, practically tearing his reputation apart. He and Tang Xianwang were sworn enemies, so why would he save them?!

Now the battle situation has taken a turn for the worse, and the right wing is in extreme danger. It is absolutely impossible for him to rush to provide assistance.

And Yang Shu, the governor of Jiannan, had already begun to think of retiring.

Such a super-war was horrific to the extreme, with bloodshed and shattering to pieces. It was simply unimaginable unless one experienced it firsthand. This was not something one could witness in the battles between the southwest and the Yi people. Furthermore, the situation had taken a turn for the worse at this point. Risking a rescue would likely wipe out his remaining troops.

Yang Shu was already thinking about leaving. Righteousness and respect had all been thrown out the window at this point. You have to understand that Southwestern Shuzhong is completely different from the barely blasted and closed road in Heyang, Qingzhou. Shuzhong's geographical advantages are unique. It's truly surrounded by mountains and difficult to enter.

In the whole Shu, there are only a few passages leading to the outside, and all of them are dangerous passes, almost as strong as Sishui Pass. If these passes and road crossings are sealed, the country will be truly impregnable.

No matter how powerful the Northern Rong cavalry is, they will still have disadvantages.

Yang Shu thought to himself that if he sealed the pass and declared himself king, he would establish his own country. What could the Northern Rong do to him?

Even if the Northern Rong occupied the Central Plains, the longest the Hu people existed in history was no more than a hundred years. Why should he defeat all his troops here and fight to the death with the Northern Rong?

Zhu Zhaopu, the governor of Jingnan, had similar ideas to Yang Shu. He was a man of deep foresight and foresight. He had established himself in Jingnan and had even extended his influence to Jiangnan. He had both troops and food, but both Jiangnan and Jingnan were home to many powerful clans. If he didn't suppress them promptly, new forces would easily emerge to divide the territory. He absolutely couldn't send all his troops here.

His territory is not only separated from the Yannan Plain by the Yellow River, but also by a mighty river. The Northern Rong are not good at water battles!

Zhu Zhaopu had psychologically withdrawn himself from the battlefield and examined the pros and cons with a calm attitude. In the end, he said nothing and did not move, as he had already begun to think about retreating.

Why not preserve your strength for the future?

"If no one moves, how can we save them?"

The danger level was rising linearly, and it was very likely that the entire army would be wiped out. Zhu Zhaopu did not show up, and his eldest son Zhu Min was forced into a panic by the visitor. He was embarrassed and cursed in anger!

There was no response from the Grand Protector of Zhenwu.

Finally, let’s talk about Li Yi and Xie Ci.

Xie Ci was still behind. The Shuofang tribe and the Beirong Jiatashan tribe fought and moved to the west of Fengshui River. Only Li Yi was left.

Upon hearing the news, Wen Taishi was extremely sad, anxious and angry. He disregarded everything and personally got on the car to go to Fanyang.

On the battlefield, scorched earth was everywhere. Li Yi stood beside the panting warhorse, his hands on his hips. He took the cotton towel and wiped the blood off his face, pacing irritably.

At this moment, Li Yi's tall figure and facial expression lost their composure and elegance for the first time.

To save or not to save?

That’s right, Gu Wan and Xie Ci guessed correctly, he did have some plans, he was indeed thinking about the imperial army!

Although the imperial army did not belong to Master Wen, he was able to influence many people.

His interactions with the neutral faction on Wen Taishi's side and the royalist faction like Zhang Yuanrang actually began much earlier than everyone expected. Li Yi had always been making contacts with various parties to maximize his strength.

He doesn't think he's wrong.

He crawled back to the capital of Zhongdu step by step from the most desolate Gobi Desert in the northwest to regain his royal title. It was with great difficulty that he obtained the 200,000 troops under the current Fanyang Grand Protectorate.

This is all his capital for the future!

His foundation is the shallowest among all people, far less deeply rooted than others. Unlike others, he can't just take a breath to quickly gather a team of tens of thousands of people and have them join the army of higher-minded people.

How long has he been in Fanyang?

Many of the soldiers under his command, who were commanded by his trusted confidants, had just learned that he was their true master.

Once it's over, it's completely over.

Of course, he didn't want the Northern Rong to win and occupy the entire Hebei and Yannan Plains! But at this critical juncture where he had to choose between the two and everyone else had refused to send troops, he hesitated and wavered.

But after hesitating for a long time, personal interests prevailed in the end.

He gritted his teeth and whispered, "Just say I'm injured and unconscious." No, he had to take a closer look at the situation.

…

Smoke billowed, and a thick layer of dark clouds covered the Qingzhou battlefield. The sea breeze from the east blew in, bringing earth-shaking shouts of killing.

The sunlight could not penetrate the thick clouds, and the sky and the earth seemed to be covered with a layer of haze. One side of Wen Taishi's carriage was broken, but he didn't even have time to rest or replace it.

On a humid May day, the deafening sounds of battle were heard both near and far, while this side gradually calmed down, like a silence that was half dead.

Master Wen drove to many places, including Li Yi's Fanyang Army, Gao Wei's army, Yang Shu's army, and Zhu Puzhao's army, but he failed to convince them. Master Wen's face was no longer effective.

Even if Master Wen begged desperately, it was of no use.

After the battlefield was dragged into Qingzhou, the veil of unity was torn off, and it became nakedly in name only. Hu Yande succeeded.

If the 500,000-strong army were completely wiped out and we suffered a crushing defeat in this battle, I'm afraid we would really be finished.

Master Wen staggered on his crutches, trying several times but failing to climb onto the shaft of the carriage. His wrinkled face took on a grayish hue, his lips trembled, and tears streamed down his face as he walked. Shang Rong, Zhao He, and the guards hurriedly helped him up and carried him onto the carriage.

Grand Tutor Wen's lips moved, and Shang Rong hurried over to listen. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. Grand Tutor Wen's voice was extremely weak: "...Xie Ci, is Xie Ci back?"

…

Since the assassination of the emperor, no, actually since Xie Ci returned to the capital, due to various objective reasons, Master Wen has never met with Xie Ci in private.

Especially after the old emperor's family was wiped out.

He did not want Xie Ci, but he also could not be friendly or close to Xie Ci, otherwise he would lose his credibility.

But on this afternoon filled with dark clouds and extreme sadness, Master Wen finally met with Xie Ci alone.

It was very hot outside and Master Wen was in poor condition, so Shang Rong and the others hurriedly drove the carriage to bring Master Wen back to the tent.

Inside the gray-yellow tent, the sound of soldiers and horses marching quickly could be heard outside, followed by the sound of horses' hooves. Dozens of horses rushed to the tent door. Xie Ci jumped off his horse and walked in quickly, lifting the curtain.

To be honest, Xie Ci looked extremely disheveled at the moment, with blood scabs all over his body, one layer splattered and dried up, covering one layer after another. He had just defeated the Jiatashan tribe and didn't even bother to wipe the blood off his face. After receiving the order, he rushed back on horseback.

There were spots of brown medicine stains on the sickbed. The big tent was hot and stuffy. Master Wen lay on the bed, skinny and weak, with two lines of tears streaming down his face. He groped for Xie Ci's hand, his voice so weak that it was almost inaudible.

He asked Xie Ci: "You are the only one left. Do you dare to save him?"

The camp bed was very low. Xie Ci knelt on one knee on the brown muddy ground in front of Master Wen's couch, holding the Master's withered hand tightly with his backhand. Xie Ci's handsome face was stained with blood, but his brows were firm and he said firmly: "That is a must!"

"If the imperial court and Tang Xianwang's 500,000 elite troops are wiped out this time, we will have no hope of victory!"

They must be saved. If they are not, it will be completely over. Can we rely on the other military governorates that may go off the rails at any time? No matter how powerful the imperial army is, it is determined to fight on the front line to drive out the Northern Rong.

"You've worked hard. You should rest well. In the subsequent battles, you will still be needed to command the central army and serve as the mainstay of the army."

When I held Master Wen's hand, I found that he was much thinner than I had imagined, skin and bones, and his skin was hot. This war had drained all the old man's energy and vitality. It was admirable and lamentable.

Xie Ci quickly turned around and ordered the fast horses to get the ice, and to do everything in their power to get it. Whether it was extravagant or difficult was not something they should consider now, otherwise Master Wen might really not be able to hold on.

Master Wen smiled bitterly. "The Dinghai Divine Needle?" He shook his head and tightly grasped Xie Ci's hand. "Be careful about everything... You, you must come back."

He always knew that in the end, the only thing he could rely on in this endangered world might be a thank you.

Master Wen shed tears on the spot, but dared not say more. He said weakly, "Hurry, go quickly..."

Otherwise, it will be too late.

…

Xie Ci stood up and walked out quickly.

He rode his horse to meet the rapidly marching Shuofang tribe and ordered them to rest immediately, eat and rest.

Shouts and sounds of battle could be heard from the direction of Fengshui River in the distance. Following a series of military orders from Xie Ci, the large military logistics forces in the rear abandoned their heavy baggage and tried their best to catch up, carrying gunpowder, tung oil, military rations, medicines, spare weapons and armor, etc. The Shuofang army was fighting in the front, and these were the life force for the rear to survive.

In the middle of summer in May, Gu Wan was in charge of these things. She was the team leader running in the front, running forward as if her butt was on fire. She was sweating all over and her cheeks were red as fire.

There was no way. Among the people in charge of logistics, Zhang Ningyuan was not familiar enough, and she was the youngest and the fastest runner among the rest.

He led the logistics guards and rushed all the way. He arrived at the scene. It was so hot that he couldn't even speak. The logistics troops of the imperial army over there also had to be ordered to rush here, dragging their things as quickly as possible.

All the soldiers and generals whose weapons were damaged were replaced, and each unit was assigned people to carry gunpowder, tung oil, arrows and strong bows. The entire army, including Xie Ci himself, only brought two days' worth of dry food after a hearty meal!

"This time, we only brought two days' worth of dry food! After we finish it, we'll eat the dried meat cakes of the Northern Rong people and drink the blood of the Northern Rong war horses—"

A large case was brought up, and the map drawn by the sentry with all his strength was scattered in one place. Xie Ci's sharp eyes quickly scanned it, bypassing the deep water and mountainous areas. He judged that the imperial army and Tang Xianwang's troops could still be rescued.

Although, this is very dangerous.

But! The Shuofang soldiers present were chewing their rations in big mouthfuls, their ears were filled with the faint thunderous shouts of strangulation from the east, but there was not much fear on their faces.

Because they had just won a great victory, the Shuofang tribe might be the only one to have won a great victory in the first half of the war before entering Qingzhou.

With a great victory, morale is high!

Xie Ci, clad in blood-stained black armor, stood at the forefront of the army. A murderous aura still lingered on him, his brows stern as he shouted, "We can do it!"

"If we can defeat Hu Yande once, we can defeat him a second time!!"

Now it’s not about defeating, it’s just about saving.

Xie Ci shouted loudly, "A general mobilization before the war!" At this moment, he was not unaware of the danger, but the more dangerous it was, the more an unprecedented fighting spirit burst out from his chest!

He can.

He believed in himself. If he could defeat Huyan De the first time, he could do it a second time!

Xie Ci has come this far by walking on a tightrope and fighting his way through danger!

He showed no fear at all, instead, he was filled with boundless fighting spirit!!

There was the first time before, now is the second time, and there will be the third, fourth, and fifth time in the future!

Until the Northern Rong army is completely defeated and driven out of the pass, they will no longer have the power to invade in the future!

Thick black clouds slowly drifted by, billowing smoke shook the heavens and earth. Xie Ci suddenly raised his head, raised his eyes, and shouted: "Soldiers, do you have confidence?!"

"have!!!"

"We have—"

"Kill! Kill! Kill—"

Generals Qin Xian, Chen Yan and others took the lead in raising their weapons. All the soldiers, covered in blood, raised their spears and swords at the same time, shouting loudly, and their momentum reached the sky!

The fighting spirit was boiling to the extreme, and Xie Ci said no more: "Soldiers, take your dry food and fill your stomachs! We will set off in three quarters of an hour -"

"yes--"

The sound shook the whole area. Gu Guan led his men to distribute all the dried meat and meat floss, allowing the soldiers to replenish their energy reserves to the maximum extent. They made a big circle and finally ran back.

Xie Ci hadn't eaten yet, so she quickly picked up a portion and the water bag and ran over, "Hurry up and eat."

"Are you injured? Do you want to call a military doctor?" He came back from the battlefield, his body and face covered in blood. If you didn't ask, you wouldn't know if he was injured or not.

It was very hot today. She ran until her face was red and sweat was pouring down. She could hardly open her eyes, so she quickly wiped them with her hands.

Heroism and filial love.

Xie Ci took the dry food and water bag. During this period, whenever they met briefly, the first sentence she said was always this.

Although Xie Ci had great determination and confidence, he was not unaware of the difficulties and dangers of this battle.

Looking at Gu Wan's face, which was red and stained and looked a little tired, but still full of energy and sunshine.

He was overwhelmed with emotions.

Both of them are decisive and swift, including Gu Guan, who is in charge of coordinating the logistics. He rides at full speed, his mind races, and everything is done in a hurry.

But at this moment, when we finally got together, this brief gap couldn't help but become gentle.

Xie Ci devoured the dry food in two or three gulps. He took off his bloodstained black and blue cloak, put on a new one, took the water bag, and suddenly said, "Wanwan, when I come back, we can get married, okay?"

Get married, a military marriage.

In this huge army, they wore armor and military uniforms, without veils or silk fans. They sat under the sky and on the ground. Between heaven and earth, within the huge army, they worshiped heaven and earth, paid homage to their parents from afar, and then became husband and wife.

In fact, Xie Ci had been thinking about getting married for a long time, even after they consummated their marriage for the first time.

He cherished Gu Wan, and he felt uncomfortable that they had consummated their marriage without having a wedding.

It's not that he hasn't encountered danger during this period of war. Xie Ci has narrowly escaped fatal crises several times. If he had been just a little bit off, he would not have been able to come back.

In this life-and-death situation, many red tapes were broken through, and his desire became stronger and stronger, finally reaching its peak today.

He wanted to be husband and wife with Gu Wan, a truly legitimate and perfect couple.

If it were in the past, Xie Ci might have felt lucky that he had not gotten married or that she did not like him so much.

But I can really feel it, the sticky love of the past, but it seems to have started quietly, without knowing when, as if the fuse was lit, and sparks burst out in an instant.

Xie Ci could feel Gu Wan's fiery passion, and the two seemed to have entered a new realm.

At this moment, Xie Ci could truly feel it, and he could say with certainty that Gu Wan's sadness and emotions would not be reduced even a little bit just because they were not married and he died in battle.

Why not get married?

He didn't want to let her down. With the armies as witnesses and heaven and earth as an alliance, he felt that such a wedding was not unfair, and he also knew that she would not feel wronged.

Sure enough, Gu Wan was stunned for a moment, then she smiled, her sweaty almond-shaped eyes suddenly curved: "Military marriage? Sure!"

It sounds grand and beautiful!

She also felt it was great.

However, she pulled the sleeve of his armor and whispered the same words as Master Wen: "Be careful, I'll wait for you outside."

Xie Ci finally smiled, and above the rugged iron-blooded figure, brilliant flowers blossomed. He whispered, "Well, I'll definitely be back!"

Marry you.

…

It’s actually a very short time.

The two men exchanged a few words face to face, smiled at each other, and Xie Ci tilted his head back, drank half a bag of water, and took a breath.

Then he turned around and quickly returned to the side of the big case.

Qin Xian, Su Zhen, Kou Wenshao and other generals from various departments also finished eating voraciously and gathered quickly in front of the big table.

The determination is firm. Qin Xian and others are extremely angry and contemptuous of Gao Wei and others, but it is still extremely dangerous to rush to support and fight.

They had only 200,000 soldiers, and they had to rescue the imperial army and Tang Xianwang who were trapped in the siege when the siege and stranglehold by the 600,000-strong Northern Rong army, including nearly 400,000 cavalry, was at its most intense.

Not very, but extremely difficult.

Xie Ci looked solemn as he quickly discussed military deployment with Qin Xian and others, and soon agreed on a general plan of advance.

Gu Guan was listening, but she felt it was a difficult task. Alas, if only some military governors had joined forces to cooperate with the besieged imperial army led by Tang Xianwang, it would not have been so difficult.

At this time, she couldn't help but think of someone.

Regarding military deployment, Gu Guan never interrupted unless it was necessary information, but here she immediately raised her hand.

Xie Ci tilted his head: "What's wrong?" Is there anything you want to hear?

Gu Wan said directly: "I think of Yin Luo."

Yin Luo was actually Feng Kun. Gu Wan almost immediately thought of Feng Kun and asked, "Can we persuade Feng Kun to send troops to help us?"

The author has something to say:

Feng Kun appears now and will be written about in the next chapter.

Hehehe, finally, the heart launch! See you tomorrow, babies~ (づ￣3￣)づ

Also, thanks to “a certain unknown squirrel spirit” for throwing the mine, muuuuuuuu!

^

I also want to give a heart to the big babies who have been irrigated with nutrient solution~