Prime Minister Liu and 200,000 soldiers fought to the death in Helong, and Tongguan was broken. Afterwards, the enemy forces outside and inside the pass attacked from both sides, and all 200,000 soldiers died for their country.
In mid-February, Liangzhou was destroyed, and the Nanman were in high spirits, marching southward. In less than three days, the Nanman's iron hooves stepped onto the Xianyang Bridge. The road was vast and flat, and the capture of Chang'an was just around the corner.
The news was quickly transmitted back to Chang'an. Before the ministers could mourn the death of the prime minister, they were frightened by the approaching Nanman army. The Wei Dynasty had been established for hundreds of years and had never allowed the Rongdi to invade the capital Chang'an. For a time, the ministers went to the emperor to discuss countermeasures.
They hoped that the emperor would summon the 100,000 elite soldiers stationed in Chang'an and issue a proclamation to all the provinces in the world. The 100,000 elite soldiers would guard the city, while the governors of all the provinces in the world would lead their troops to protect the emperor.
This was proposed by Prime Minister Zhang, who was the prime minister together with the deceased Prime Minister Liu.
The emperor rebuked him in court: "The 200,000 elite soldiers in Longyou have been fighting against the barbarians for years, but they can't stop the enemy. The 100,000 elite soldiers in Chang'an can't stop them at all! What is your intention in this plan to destroy the country?!"
Zhang Xianggong stared at the emperor in shock. His face turned pale. He raised his sleeves and wanted to say something else, asking the emperor why Hexi was defeated so quickly.
Didn't Prime Minister Liu tell the emperor that it was not appropriate to go to war at this time? Didn't the emperor keep urging the troops to fight, suspecting that Prime Minister Liu was afraid of death and unwilling to go to war? Didn't Liu Wenji spread rumors and made the emperor distrust the Hexi army?
Prime Minister Zhang couldn't believe that Hexi would be defeated so quickly!
Maybe there are spies, maybe someone in the court is colluding with the southern barbarians and passing on information...
But facing the emperor who was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, Zhang Xianggong no longer had the energy to say these words. He could say that this was not what the emperor wanted to hear.
The emperor saw that all the officials were indifferent and no one spoke. He slammed the imperial desk and said angrily: "The enemy army is about to attack Chang'an, and you are still pretending to be Bodhisattvas and Buddhas! You all claim to be from a century-old family, have read thousands of books, and have noble temperaments even though you come from a humble family... How come at this time, no one has given advice?"
Mr. Zhang felt heartbroken for the death of Mr. Liu.
He asked on behalf of the ministers: "Now that things have come to this, what else can we do except defend the city? Does Your Majesty have any good plan?"
The emperor pondered for a moment and said, "I have an idea. Green mountains are evergreen, and firewood is evergreen. At this critical moment, my life and the lives of my dear ministers are more important than a city. The southern barbarian troops may arrive at Chang'an tomorrow. I and my dear ministers should pack up and retreat from Chang'an.
"Those barbarians will not govern Chang'an even if they take it. They won't want it. When the troops to support the king enter Chang'an and drive the southern barbarians away, I and my ministers will come back."
The ministers were in an uproar.
They stared blankly at the emperor who was full of plans. The absurdity of the scene made them dazed. For a moment, the whole hall was silent and no one could speak.
"Ridiculous!" Mr. Zhang's face turned red and he spoke without thinking.
One prime minister retired, another died, and now there are only three prime ministers left in the court. Among the three prime ministers, Prime Minister Zhang is almost the same age as the deceased Prime Minister Liu. Prime Minister Liu is used to being tough, but Prime Minister Zhang is the most kind-hearted among the prime ministers.
He has a kind face, is good to others and is very easy to talk to. In the past, Liu Xianggong teased him as "Maitreya Buddha", saying that he had no ambition all day and just lived in a daze. If we turn a blind eye, the world will be peaceful.
At this time, Zhang Xianggong's voice was shaking with anger: "Your Majesty, are you going to abandon the city and flee? Once the enemy arrives, will the millions of people in Chang'an also be able to escape like us? Can Chang'an's ancient monuments, gardens, collections... also be able to leave with us? How will Your Majesty explain to the people of the world?!"
The emperor said cunningly: "Do you know how many times Chang'an City has been destroyed since ancient times? It was rebuilt after being destroyed, and this is not the first time."
He said, "I have made up my mind!"
Zhang Xianggong: "Where can your majesty escape to? To Yizhou below? Is the Shu Road accessible now? The situation in Jiannan is not much better than ours."
Emperor: "Go to Bingzhou first and cross the Yellow River..."
Zhang Xianggong couldn't help but sarcastically said, "Even the Yellow River is going to be crossed? Since Your Majesty wants to use history as an excuse, I have to say one more thing. Since ancient times, regimes that fled to the south have never had the opportunity to return to the Central Plains. Your Majesty is going to give away our beautiful land to others?"
The emperor was speechless and angry. He could not argue with Zhang Xianggong, and was angry that his ministers did not give him face. He shouted: "Zhang Xianggong disturbs people's hearts and confuses the people with his lies. Lock him up! Liu Wenji, you discuss with others how we should retreat..."
Liu Wenzhi held a whisk in his hand and bowed.
The result of the court discussion made the officials who did not participate in the discussion extremely sad. However, they wiped their tears and knelt down in panic to kowtow to the people.
Since your Majesty is like this, what can I do?
Wei Shuyin had a fierce fight with Liu Wenji and had offended the emperor before, so he was imprisoned in the palace for two days to reflect on himself. When he received the news, he was told to flee with the people along with the ministers.
Wei Shu was startled and asked, "Why are you running away?"
He is clear and rustling, like snow falling in the forest. This kind of clean and clear beauty, without edges and corners, and handsome demeanor has always been loved by people.
The eunuch who delivered the message forgot that the eunuch was frightened into a trance by this man last time, and just smiled and said, "The army of Longyou couldn't defeat the invasion of the southern barbarians, so of course we can't defeat them either. Your Majesty, for the sake of the future, you should endure it if you can."
Wei Shu was even more surprised and said, "Defending a city is different from attacking a city. Being defeated does not mean that we cannot defend the city. What is needed to defend a city is people, not soldiers. Chang'an has a population of millions and plenty of food. There is a long stream in the city. There is no shortage of water and food in the city. What are we afraid of?
"As long as we close the four city gates, the worst case scenario is that we can only defend the city. When the troops come to support the king, won't Chang'an be saved?
"Besides, even if the royal army cannot defeat the southern barbarians for a while, according to Chang'an's grain reserves, Chang'an will have no problem holding out for a year. In this case, I don't understand why they want to escape."
The eunuch was confused by what he said.
What Wei Qilang said was so reasonable, clear and logical that the eunuchs were all convinced. They didn't know why they wanted to escape... If they didn't have to worry about food and clothing, why would they escape?
But Your Majesty wants to escape!
The eunuch hesitated: "It may be difficult to defend the city..."
Wei Shu interrupted: "I have defended a city before, I know how to defend a city. I know that defending a city is easier than attacking a city. As long as the defenders do not surrender, the cost of attacking a city will not be even a fraction of a cent!"
The eunuch stammered after a while, "This is what your majesty wants. My lord, please don't embarrass me."
Wei Shu sneered.
A fierce look appeared in his usually calm eyes. He took a step forward, his hand on the sword at his waist, his aura like ice breaking through a jade river, causing the eunuch who was delivering the message to retreat repeatedly.
Wei Shu changed his previous friendly attitude and questioned: "Prince Liu's body is still warm, fighting for the country, Your Majesty is thinking of escaping? Longyou was defeated so quickly, and the reason is unknown, Your Majesty is thinking of hiding?"
The eunuch knelt down and said, "Your servant... Your servant doesn't know!"
Wei Shu no longer paid attention to the eunuch, nor did he let him go back. He asked the guards to tie up the eunuch and hurried out. The first thing he did was to go to the residence of his eldest brother, Wei Kai, the eldest son of the Wei family.
Wei Kai was sorting books and clothes at home. In the chaos, the women, children, and servants at home were extremely panicked. With the disaster ahead, everyone was affected by the emotions of the superiors and began to panic.
Wei Shu was led to the study to meet Wei Kai. Wei Kai turned his back to him and taunted, "What a rare guest! Ever since Zhao Wu Niang left Beijing, Ju Yuan and I have severed our robes and shouted that we would break off relations with the Wei family. How come you have time to come to my door today?"
Wei Shu said succinctly: "Brother, let's reconcile."
Wei Kai was stunned and looked back at him.
The young man, who was extremely handsome, was wearing a gray robe. His clothes were disheveled and he looked dusty because he was in a hurry.
Wei Shu's face remained calm. He asked, "I want to reconcile with my elder brother and the Wei family in Luoyang. Brother, tell me, how can you forgive me and make sure there is no more rift between the Wei family and me?"
"Do you want me to kneel down and kowtow, or do you want me to pay something?"
Wei Kai looked at him for a long while.
Wei Kai put down the book in his hand, lowered his eyes and said calmly: "Juyuan and the Wei family have been fighting for ten years, and they have never surrendered. They resisted marriage, went on diplomatic missions, and broke off ties with their families for a woman... Why are they suddenly reconciling now?"
Wei Shu said succinctly: "When the country is in crisis, it is meaningless for small families to fight. I reconcile with the Wei family, hoping to use the family resources for my own benefit, and the power in my elder brother's hands will cooperate with me. I personally hate the control of the Wei family over me, but... the Wei family is just a small part of the Great Wei.
"Too many people are dying, too many people died in obscure ways. I am willing to reconcile with my family, as long as... I can save the world!"
Wei Kai looked at him in silence.
Wei Kai said, "I know what you want to do. But the reason why my Luoyang Wei family has survived for hundreds of years is that we never pay attention to these things."
Without waiting for Wei Shu to refute, Wei Kai seemed distracted for a moment, and then he smiled again: "But the reason why our Wei family has survived for hundreds of years is that we have made the right choice in every major choice. Times make heroes, and heroes also choose the right time. Every time my Wei family faces such a big trend, we are very lucky. There are descendants of the family who stand up, respond to the trend, and protect my family.
"I don't know if Juyuan is such a person, but I am not. Since I am not such a person, I should give way to you... This era belongs to you. I will not occupy the road."
He walked towards Wei Shu and looked at this brother whom he had always disliked. He disliked this brother because he was a bastard, but he was talented and was known as a child prodigy since he was young. He was a child prodigy, but this brother was also arrogant because of his talent and ignored everyone. His peers in the family were suppressed by Wei Shu's talent and were also angered by Wei Shu's arrogance.
But now that he has grown up and gone through many things, Wei Kai has long understood that his seventh brother may not be arrogant because of his talent, and he does not look down on them.
But he is not good at socializing and doesn't know how to please his brothers.
Wei Kai couldn't help laughing.
He said, "Juyuan, go and do what you want. Whatever you need, the Wei family will make way for you. If you are wrong, I will take the responsibility for everything that happened today."
Wei Shu bowed to him and said, "I don't need my brother to take the responsibility for me. I can do it myself."
Wei Kai scolded: "You stinky boy!
"You're still so speechless!"
The Wei family's influence is spread throughout all departments of the court. Perhaps the highest official position is not high, but in each of the six departments, there are Wei family members who have a say, which is extremely powerful.
That night, the emperor was supported by Liu Wenji and put on a chariot to escape from the city, but once they left the city gate, the troops could not leave. Liu Wenji informed the emperor that the imperial guards refused to leave and were persuaded to stand with the people and defend Chang'an.
The emperor could not stop cursing.
But the Imperial Guards refused to leave. How could the emperor, who was protected by the Imperial Guards, dare to leave?
The emperor was helped by Liu Wenji to get out of the carriage, and the concubines hiding in the carriage behind were panicked. Among the concubines, Concubine Xian Chunhua quietly lifted the curtain and looked out.
She saw soldiers and horses on the road, heavy fire, and Liu Wenji with his back to them. She recognized the young man standing in front of the emperor, neither humble nor arrogant, as Wei Shu.
The emperor angrily asked Wei Shu, "Wei Aiqing, are you overstepping your authority and overreaching? How dare you ask the imperial guards not to leave... Commander Jiang, are you going to listen to the words of a doctor from the Ministry of Rites and ignore my words?"
Wei Shu bowed, "Your Majesty, I was an envoy in the past and established diplomatic relations with all the countries in the four directions. When Longyou fell, all the countries in the four directions were also in panic. I wrote a letter asking them to help Hexi. The Nanman marched too fast, and the rear must have no time to take care of other things. The troops of the four directions pressed in from behind, and Chang'an attacked from the front, trapping the Nanman in the middle, and they were in a dilemma.
"If this continues, the southern barbarians will panic."
The emperor mocked: "I never thought that a doctor of the Ministry of Rites like you could fight a war! Where is the Minister of War? The Ministry of War..."
Wei Shu remained calm and said, "The Minister of War drank too much and is resting at home."
Liu Wenzhi's eyelids twitched suddenly and he looked at Wei Shu sternly.
Wei Shu... kidnapped Mr. Zhao? Kidnapped Zhao Wuniang's father? How dare he?
The emperor also noticed it and was secretly surprised. He looked at Wei Shu for a moment, and even took a step back, fearing that Wei Shu would put him under house arrest.
The emperor was panicked and alert: "Commander Jiang..."
The sturdy general who had been standing there with his head down for a long time lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, what Wei Qilang said makes sense. At this critical moment of national crisis, we cannot leave, and Chang'an cannot be lost. The millions of people in Chang'an are watching us... We cannot abandon them and leave."
The emperor said: "Wei Juyuan has been a diplomatic envoy before! He is very good at speaking and eloquent. You have been fooled by him!"
Wei Shu: "This is the first time I have been called 'eloquent'."
Emperor: "Wei Juyuan, what do you mean?!"
Wei Shu: "No other intention. Please return to Chang'an, return to the palace, and sit quietly. As long as Chang'an City is not destroyed, your Majesty will not leave Chang'an. As long as the cause of Liu Xianggong's death is not clear, your Majesty will not retreat.
"All the civil and military officials in the court followed His Majesty and looked at His Majesty.
"The 100,000 elite soldiers in Chang'an will all watch over and protect Your Majesty."
The emperor was stunned.
He looked at the soldiers and horses filling the road, at the ministers who bowed their heads and kept silent. He looked at the heavy flames, and then turned back to look at the Chang'an City behind the flames.
He broke out in a cold sweat. He had no doubt that if he insisted on leaving tonight, Wei Shu might really kill the king... All the civil and military officials in the court were watching him in this way!
Kill him all!
Everyone must kill him!
The emperor was terrified, and had never before been so aware of the hatred of his ministers. Liu Wenji supported him from behind, and he calmed down.
The emperor thought, fortunately, there is Liu Wenji. It seems that the imperial guards are all attached to the scholars represented by Wei Shu. It seems that the noble families and the poor families have joined forces. But Liu Wenji also has soldiers in his hands, and the Northern Yamen is still obedient!
The emperor's voice was hoarse and strange: "Then I...will return to the palace."
Wei Shu remained silent.
Liu Wenji raised his eyes and looked at Wei Shu who was watching them. As they passed by each other, Liu Wenji felt a surge of fear in his heart.
Wei Juyuan's calm expression made Liu Wenji realize his murderous intention. A civil official who had led troops to attack and defend a city as an envoy was definitely not an ordinary civil official.
Wei Shu will start a killing spree.
And unlike Yan Shang who is such a gentle person, Wei Shu's killing spree may be very calm, and he may have no psychological burden... The more cold-hearted a person is, the less flaws he has.
Liu Wenji was irritated and realized his danger. No, he had to save himself. This emperor was going to be deposed by Wei Shu... and today, because of the death of Liu Xianggong, the nobles and the poor joined forces to attack the eunuchs, and the eunuchs were bound to be defeated.
He had to find a way to save himself.
-----
Chang'an entered into a siege in mid-February.
Just as Wei Shu expected, the food in Chang'an City could last at least a year. In order to protect the capital, the gates of Chang'an were not easy to be broken. The defense of Chang'an was not difficult. The difficulty was that as a capital, it was the symbol of Wei.
Chang'an was in trouble and needed the help of the governors from all directions.
All of a sudden, all the troops in the world went to Chang'an to rescue. The death of Prime Minister Liu aroused the anger of the Wei army. The emperor and Chang'an were trapped, which was like a humiliation for everyone in Wei.
Other counties and prefectures can be destroyed, but Chang'an cannot.
The soldiers who came to support the emperor were unaware of Wei Shu's behavior that was like house arrest for the emperor, and they were also unaware of the open and covert attacks between the scholars and ministers in Chang'an and the eunuchs.
Chang'an was trapped, and all the troops went to rescue it. The troops and food supplies that Jiannan Road, which was located under Chang'an, could get were far less than before.
Chang'an was in trouble, so naturally it could no longer provide food and grass to Jiannan; Chang'an was in crisis, with all the city gates closed, so naturally it could no longer send orders or dispatch soldiers to Jiannan to fight.
Jiannan had reached the most critical stage of the war, but its food and manpower were both in danger. Yan Shang tried every means to borrow soldiers and food from all directions, but all the states in all directions wanted to help Chang'an. Compared with Chang'an, Jiannan's gains and losses were not a big deal.
Yan Shang was anxious about this and ran back and forth, but food and grass were still running out day by day, and the number of troops that could be mobilized could no longer be increased.
Zhao Lingfei gritted her teeth, patted her chest and said that she was borrowing soldiers in her father's name. The state next door was repairing the Yangtze River embankment, and last year they sent food and grass to help, and 50,000 soldiers were also sent to help. And the governor of that state was her father's student.
She said, "Second Brother Yan, Cousin, don't worry. I will definitely borrow soldiers and food! I will definitely help you resolve the crisis!"
Yang Si was covered in blood and looked exhausted. When Concubine Zhao Ling signed the military order, he had just finished a major battle. He sat on the ground, holding his forehead with his hand, thinking about the corpses on the battlefield.
His face was cold and his eyes were sinister and fierce. This was the sequelae of coming back from the battlefield... Spending every day and night on the battlefield would cause a person to undergo a drastic change.
Yang Si wondered how he could kill Meng Zaishi. If he killed Meng Zaishi, Jiannan would have won half the battle. Yan Erlang wouldn't have to worry so much, and Ling Fei wouldn't have to go against her father anymore. He could...
Yan Shang stood behind Yang Si, but did not approach him because of his overreaction. He just said gently, "Sanlang, you haven't slept for two days. I have to go out to do something, you should get some sleep."
Yang Si shook his head: "I can't sleep."
Yan Shang was worried, but he just sighed and said nothing. He and Zhao Lingfei left the military camp separately. Before leaving, he asked his sister who was treating the wounded in the military camp to ask Xiaozhou to take care of Yang Si.
Yan Xiaozhou agreed to all that, but he was worried: "Second brother, we are out of medicine. If there are more wounded, we won't be able to save them all..."
Yan Shang rubbed his brows and said, "I'll find a way."
A voice came from behind: "Are there not enough medicines?"
The brother and sister turned around and saw Yang Si standing at the door of the tent.
Yang Si pondered for a moment and said, "Then we should fight quickly and decisively."
Yan Shang said: "Sanlang, you don't have to..."
Yang Si: "I know how to fight. I don't need you to teach me."
Yan Shang knew that his mood had changed drastically because of the war, and his speaking style had become cold and ruthless. Yan Shang exchanged a look with Yan Xiaozhou again, and could only hope that his sister could relax Yang Si's tense nerves a little. After instructing them one by one, Yan Shang left the military camp.
He has his own things to do.
He felt a great pressure in his heart, but he didn't tell anyone.
This was the last time Yan Shang and Yang Si saw each other.
-----
In early April, Yan Shang led his guards and met with the envoy of King Ale from Guangzhou after confirming that it was safe.
The other party brought a jade pendant and a box.
When he saw the jade pendant, Yan Shang's face tensed and the hand in his sleeve trembled slightly.
His face was calm: "What does this mean?"
The other party said wildly: "Guangzhou has been sealed off for two months. You haven't been in contact with them for more than two months, right? Let me tell you, our King Ale is brave and powerful, and has captured your wife, the princess.
"This is what she had! You won't fail to recognize it."
Yan Shang's hands were shaking in his sleeves.
His face was calm: "I really don't recognize him."
The envoy said, "Then you can open the box and take a look... That is your wife's finger! If you don't withdraw your troops from Jiannan, the next gift you receive won't be a finger!"
Yan Shang's face turned pale.
He felt as if he had fallen into an abyss of ice. His head began to feel dizzy and his mind went blank. He spent a lot of effort to hide his ugly face and to prevent the other party from seeing his expression. He tried his best to calm himself, but his mind was still blank.
He had already prepared to sacrifice his life for his country, and he had the courage to die for his country at any time...but when the day really came, his mind was still blank.
Yan Shang calmly opened the box. The southern barbarian envoy who was escorted by the guards also stared at Yan Shang nervously, fearing that he would find out the loophole.
King Ale wanted to fake it, so he naturally prepared everything. He prepared a girl's finger that was burnt by fire, and he chose a girl who was thin and not much different from the princess... With a burnt finger, he was not afraid that Yan Erlang would recognize it.
Yan Shang looked at the fingers in the box that were as black as charcoal and as white as bones.
The guard behind him turned his head away, not daring to look any further.
Yan Shang watched quietly like this, his eyes fell on the jade pendant, then turned to his fingers with a blank look.
In an instant, his mind may have thought a lot, but it may still be blank.
He might have thought of Mu Wanyao's graceful figure, and her smiling back at him, but he also thought of her standing in the flames of war, engulfed by the fire, her clothes flying...
Yan Shang said: "You used something like this to deceive me, did you think I would fall for it? This is not my wife's finger, it is just your trick. When two countries are at war, they do not kill envoys. I will not kill you, but you used a fake thing to fool me, and you will be punished alive."
He looked at the top of the tent with empty eyes: "Tie them up and interrogate them strictly."
Yan Shang walked out of the tent, and the guards following him admired him: "As expected of Erlang. I didn't recognize that it wasn't your Highness's finger just now, only Erlang recognized it... Those people dared to deceive Erlang, we must interrogate them thoroughly to see what the situation in Guangzhou is like now..."
Before he finished speaking, Yan Shang in front of him swayed slightly.
The guard was stunned and hurried to help, but found Yan Shang's cold hand.
Yan Shang tilted his head, his face still pale.
The guard realized something was wrong: "Could it be... that finger is not fake? It really belongs to His Highness..."
Yan Shang seemed to be convincing himself: "...it must be fake."
The guard was startled.
He looked at Yan Shang's face and began to feel confused.
The guard whispered, "Erlang, don't you care whether it's true or not? Your Highness treated Erlang like this, and Erlang responded like this?"
Yan Shang lowered his head and said: "Interrogate the envoy. I want to know the situation in Guangzhou."
The guard shouted: "But are we still going to send troops? We have no troops! Jiannan has reached a critical moment, we cannot withdraw our troops! Erlang..."
He was afraid that Yan Shang would choose his beauty over his country, so he tried to persuade him. But Yan Shang stood in front of the tent in a daze, his mind still in a mess. He dared not think of anything, but his heart had already begun to shrink.
He whispered, "I know."
-----
Concubine Zhao Ling went to knock on the gate of the provincial government, asking them to send troops; Yan Shang was in the suburbs, interrogating the envoys and forcing them to tell about the situation in Guangzhou.
In the war in Jiannan Road, Yang Si was like a madman. He had not rested for several days and should have stepped down to let other generals take over. He had already lost several battles, but he just refused to leave the battlefield.
The Wei army was losing ground and was already short of soldiers, and this made the situation even worse.
There were constant insults against Yang Si in the Jiannan military camp, but due to the absence of Marshal Yan Shang, the generals had no one to complain to. Before he left, Yan Shang had given Yang Si too much power, allowing Yang Si to ignore the opposition of other generals and lead the troops alone.
No one needs to tell you.
The atmosphere in the camp was gloomy.
Meng Zaishi was keenly aware of the situation of the Wei army, and after several battles, Meng Zaishi realized that something was wrong with the Wei army. Otherwise, Yang Si would not have suddenly become so tough, and would not have been defeated so many times, but still seemed to be holding on to his last breath and had to win.
Meng Zaishi realized that this was his chance.
But he had fought for many years and was still vigilant. Meng Zaishi spent time and killed many scouts to confirm that Jiannan was beginning to be short of food and soldiers, so Yang Si had to win. Yang Si needed a victory, but the more he needed it, the more flaws Yang Si would reveal.
Meng Zaishi began to attack with all his strength!
He no longer concealed his strength, and vowed to take advantage of Yang Si's loss of composure to destroy Yang Si and all his soldiers. After the battle in Jiannan was over, he would negotiate peace with Yan Shang and the Wei Dynasty. After that, King Ale was dealt with... Only then could the Nanman truly develop according to his ideas!
At the end of April, Meng Zaishi and Yang Si had a decisive battle in the Grand Canyon.
Of Yang Si's 100,000 troops, only 50,000 remained. The Wei army retreated to the canyon, and Meng Zaishi led 100,000 troops into the canyon to pursue. After Meng Zaishi entered the canyon, he found that Yang Si's army had suddenly disappeared.
He realized that something was wrong and found that the terrain was not favorable to his side. This reminded him of the day of the military drill in Chang'an that year, when Yang Si led a hundred people to block him in a pocket-shaped canyon, making it impossible for him to capture it.
Meng Zaishi looked up at the lush green mountain roads, and he reined in his horse and shouted, "Retreat! Retreat..."
On the hills in all directions, the Wei soldiers looked coldly at the Nanman soldiers. Yang Si shouted: "Kill—"
Meng Zaishi raised his head and met Yang Si's cold eyes.
Yang Si licked the blood from his mouth and clenched the gun in his hand. He stood in front of the rock, looking at the enemy who was twice his number. This made his blood boil, and he was filled with excitement and trembling.
He said sternly: "Victory or defeat on the Jiannan battlefield depends on this battle, attack now--"
The military advisor behind him was worried: "Even if we drive the enemy into this valley which is naturally disadvantageous to them, but their generals are strong, their troops are powerful, and they are twice as strong as us, we still..."
Yang Si: "Then fight to the death."
-----
If we must fight, we must fight to the death.
Since I have staked everything on this, I will never look back.
There is no end, only blood.
With a gun in hand, you will never fall.
“Kill—”
The sounds of slaughter filled the mountains and fields, and echoed across the earth.
The battle lasted for three days in the Grand Canyon. Both Meng Zaishi and Yang Si were powerful, and their troops were all damaged. Yang Si attacked with all his strength, and Meng Zaishi fought hard to break through. However, the Wei army was indeed small in number, and Meng Zaishi's combat ability should not be underestimated.
In this battle, the Wei Dynasty lost 70,000 enemy soldiers, leaving Meng Zaishi with only 30,000 soldiers.
The price was that 50,000 soldiers of the Wei Dynasty were all killed in this valley.
At the end of the battle, everyone was dead. Yang Si was hit by several arrows and had no comrades around him. He wanted to fight with a gun, but his face was stained with blood and there were corpses in front of him. He couldn't move because of the arrows, so he knelt down in front of the corpses.
The canyon winds were chilly and cold in April.
Meng Zaishi was equally exhausted. He watched helplessly as all the Wei soldiers died. He also watched Yang Si kneel down, unable to move at all.
Meng Zaishi remained silent.
The soldier behind him suggested: "General, that General Yang is too powerful. Let's shoot a few more arrows and kill him."
Meng Zaishi refused.
Although they were enemies, he wanted to give Yang Si the last bit of dignity.
He stepped on the corpses, stumbling step by step, towards Yang Si who was kneeling on the ground with a gun. The young man's face was hidden under the armor, and it was completely unrecognizable. Meng Zaishi could no longer recognize him. But Yang Si's eyes were so calm that Meng Zaishi thought of the military drills in Chang'an that year.
He stood in front of Yang Si, whose body was riddled with arrows, and whispered: "The war between you and me, from the military exercise to today, I finally won—"
The general behind him roared, "My king!"
Meng Zaishi lowered his head and saw Yang Si thrust his spear straight into his heart from below.
Meng Zaishi was bewildered and puzzled, but he lost strength and fell to his knees.
Yang Si smiled, blood oozing from between his teeth, and said, "I didn't lose."
The Nanman army in the distance was terrified. Seeing their king dying among them, they rushed over in anger, wielding swords and cutting Yang Si into pieces. But what did it matter if he was cut into pieces? Yang Si fell to the ground, looking at Meng Zaishi, who also fell to the ground with him, convulsing and trying to get up, but couldn't.
Yang Si looked up at the sky.
He thought to himself: You didn’t win, and I didn’t lose.
I ended up taking you with me to death.
He was drowsy, thinking that he probably had many wishes and concerns... but he could not remember some of them.
That's it.
-----
The rain was pouring down and the world was silent.
A heavy rain flooded everything.
Concubine Zhao Ling knelt in front of the Jiedushi's house, knocking on the door and begging, "Please! Please lend me some soldiers! My cousin needs soldiers, Jiannan needs soldiers..."
Heavy rain from heaven and earth washed away everything.
Yan Shang sat stiffly in the tent, anxiously waiting for the result of the envoy's interrogation. He refused to let Jiannan withdraw his troops and refused to help Guangzhou. His heart was broken, but he stared at the jade pendant and refused to withdraw his troops no matter how stiff he sat. In a hurry, the messenger came to report:
"Marshal, we won—
"But Sanlang Yang and his fifty thousand soldiers were all killed."
Yan Shang suddenly stood up and walked out of the tent. He opened the door, and the messenger repeated it again. Yan Shang lowered his head and spat out a mouthful of blood.
On one side is Mu Wanyao, on the other side is Yang Si...
He vomited blood and fell down, and the whole camp was in panic.
-----
In the military camp of Jiannan Road, Yan Xiaozhou lay tiredly on a plan, guarding the wounded.
She seemed to have a dream in her daze.
I was chasing someone in the dream, but it was all foggy and I couldn’t see anything clearly.
Vaguely, she recalled that she had told her second brother that she was going to look for Yang Sanlang.
At that time, she was full of expectations, saying that his life should not be just adolescence. He still has the second half of his life, he still has——
He was born as a Yulin Lang who served in the Han Dynasty, and initially followed the cavalry to fight in Yuyang.
Who knows that I will not suffer in the frontier? Even after my death, my chivalrous spirit will still be smelled.
Suddenly, she heard cheers from the military camp and woke up from her dream.
Yan Xiaozhou thought Yang Si had finally returned from the battle, so she happily drew aside the curtains to see if he was injured, and whether he would be more seriously injured this time.
"Saburo!"
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