King Xiong Wei of Chu actually still had great trust in his younger brother Wang Zi Qiji, and he had even been thinking that he could directly pass the throne to him a hundred years later.
However, now that he was besieged here, there was still no movement from Prince Qiji across the river. In fact, even if the prince abandons his illness and does not cross the river to rescue him, the presence of soldiers on the other side is enough to frighten him, and King Wu Yuji will never dare to act rashly again.
But none of this happened. According to Ran Dan's previous analysis and the feedback Wu She received from Wu Jun's camp, it seemed that his good brother really had ulterior motives!
"Brother Ji, brother Ji, I treat you very well!"
King Chu chanted this secretly in his heart...
The Wu army's test was a complete failure, which caused Yuji's assessment of the strength of the Chu army hidden in the mountains to be biased.
He felt that it was not appropriate to attack now. Anyway, King Chu Xiong was trapped here and could not escape. It would be a matter of time to capture King Chu, so there was no rush.
In contrast to his attitude, Gongzi Guang showed some faint dissatisfaction with Wu She's overnight escape.
Yi Mei was thoughtful and noticed something, so he came to persuade:
"Old thief Wu Ju is on the mountain now. If he wants to avenge his eldest brother, all my nephew can do is kill the old thief Wu Ju. As for Wu She, nephew, don't worry, he will be doomed sooner or later!"
"Well, what my uncle said is absolutely true, and my nephew understands it."
King Wu Yuji was silent at this time, and did not speak for a long time.
"Brother Wang, why are you worried about it? Wu She's words are just alarmist. You don't need to take it to heart."
Yuji shook his head and slowly analyzed:
"After Prince Qiji succeeded to the throne, he did not rule out that he would hold high the banner of revenge in order to stabilize the Chu State's government and the public. Moreover, King Xiong Wei of Chu was actually married to the Marquis of Jin, and the Yue State was as close as a tiger to its neighbor. Wu She said There is indeed some truth to what he said!"
Hearing this, Yi Mei rolled his eyes, and then just sneered and said:
"Haha, Brother Wang, why do we need to take action to capture and kill Xiong Wei?"
Hearing this, Yu Ji looked at Yi Mei in surprise, and then Yi Mei smiled evilly and said:
"The person who wants Xiong Wei to die the most right now is probably not us Wu people, but Prince Qiji!"
After hearing this, Yu Ji couldn't help but suddenly realized:
"Yes! Wonderful! Wonderful! Just leave the matter of killing Xiong Wei to Prince Qiji. If so, he will have no reason to seek revenge from our country of Wu! And it is natural for people in the world to criticize with words and writings It fell on his head!”
Yi Mo couldn't help but nodded:
"Brother Wang, this is exactly what I want! Guang'er, that's why I told you just now, when we launch a general attack, just go and kill Wu Ju, Wu She, and a bunch of other people who are following you! But! We must let the bear out of the siege. By then, we will have an explanation with the prince Qiji. Then we will find a way to let Qiji take over by himself. Haha, we can't catch this hot egg with our own hands. The best strategy is to have someone else take care of it!"
Young Master Guang heard the words and understood their meaning deeply:
"No! My nephew understands!"
At this time, Yu Ji burst out laughing again, clapped his legs and said:
"Uncle, this is a wonderful move! It has won everyone's heart! This will indeed save us a lot of trouble!"
"It's just...there's another worrying thing at the moment!"
Yi Mei said this again. Wu Wang Yuji frowned again when he heard this, and asked urgently:
"So what?"
"There is news from Biyang Pass in Chu State that someone is following the order of the King of Chu and will gather the righteous men of Chu State in Xia Rui to conquer Wu State! I don't know how this news came out. Even Prince Qiji also doesn’t know why!”
Yuji originally only wanted to surround the bear here, but after hearing this and knowing that such a situation had arisen, he couldn't help but feel constrained everywhere.
"Although such remark seems insignificant, it still needs to be taken seriously. Although Xiong Wei is an unjust and unhelpful king, after all, he has presided over the Chu State for several years, and he has built a building that is unique among thousands of people. Zhang Huatai. It is said that its purpose is to attract talented people from all over the world, regardless of high or low, they will be accepted!"
"It wouldn't be surprising if there are three or two people like Chen Buzhan among this group of people. Although it won't be a disaster, it is still a trouble after all!"
Who is this Chen Buzhan?
It turns out that when Cui Zhu of Qi State killed Duke Zhuang of Qi, there was a man named Chen Buzhan. Hearing that the monarch was in trouble, he wanted to go to the disaster for the monarch.
But on the way away from home, this man's hands were shaking so much that he couldn't even hold a rice spoon while eating. After getting on the bus, he couldn't support Che Shi. Even the coachman laughed at him for being so timid. What's the point of leaving home? benefit?
Chen Buzhan responded: "A dead king is righteous; a lack of courage is selfish. Don't harm the public with private interests."
However, when he arrived at the scene and saw the tragic scene of Qi Zhuanggong being killed, he was frightened to death! Everyone in the world says: "Not taking possession can be called the courage of a benevolent person!"
And this strange character design will later become a typical example of someone who is going to be in trouble.
And the king of Chu Xiong surrounded and collected all the dead men in the world, and they were all men with hair and horns, and those who were born from moisture and turned into eggs. It would be really troublesome if some warriors really gathered together to come to the rescue.
"Why did this news come from Biyang Pass?"
Yuji was very puzzled by this.
"This younger brother is also unknown to me."
At this time, Gongzi Guang said from the side:
"Such rumors have no impact on the overall situation of our country, Wu. You two uncles, don't take it to heart!"
King Wu Yuji also said:
"Yes, it's true that we shouldn't worry too much. Let's think about how to concentrate on dealing with Xiong Wei first!"
The two uncles and nephews have similar personalities. They are both very idealistic and ambitious people, but they are informal and carefree. This also paved the way for their almost similar endings.
Yi Mei, on the other hand, was relatively calm and pondered for a moment:
"Having said that, we still need to be on guard. I think there may be some conspiracy behind this! After all, Li Ran, the first counselor of King Chu, is not with him at the moment. Although it is rumored that he was angered by Xiong Wei It’s gone, but this news has not been confirmed yet, so we have to be careful!”
"Li Ran?..."
Yuji sighed:
"This man is indeed a genius! It's a pity that he is not on the mountain this time. Wouldn't it be great if we could capture this man alive and be used by others at that time!"
"Brother Chen is worried that Li Ran will stay behind and come to rescue the King of Chu!"
Yi Mei reminded him, but King Wu Yuji still disagreed and just shook his head and said:
"Harm! Why bother? Xiong Wei is already in our urn! Who can save him? Regardless of the reason why Li Ran left the King of Chu, even if he comes to save him, what will happen? Could it be that this Li Ran is a god with three heads and six arms? Isn’t it possible? Humph, I really hope that he will come, so that we can take him down in one fell swoop!”
Young Master Guang also touched his palms and said with a smile:
"Exactly, my uncle's worries are unreasonable! Reinforcements will arrive in two days, and the bear will die soon, so there is nothing to worry about!"
"We only need to force him into Laishan, and then find a way to introduce him to Cai Di. When he becomes alone, if Qiji doesn't take action now, it will be too useless!"
"Well, he will definitely take action. There is no doubt about this! If Xiong Wei doesn't die, how can he take over?"
Young Master Guang also echoed this confidently.
Among the three of them, only Yi Mo vaguely felt that something was wrong, but seeing that both of them were so determined to win. Knowing that it would be useless for him to say more at this time, he decided to secretly dispatch some troops for the time being and pay attention to the movements of Xia Rui and other places to prevent unexpected events.
At this moment, the spies came to report again. It was said that the Chu army had begun to build fortifications at the foot of the mountain. Hearing this, Yu Ji couldn't help snorting:
"Haha, you are too naive, you actually want to use the power of ants to fight against me! If I don't take this mountain within three days, I will be in vain as the king!"
"As soon as the reinforcements arrive, my nephew is willing to be the leader and drive away the bears! Kill all the enemies!"
Young Master Guang's invitation also made Yu Ji let out another burst of arrogant laughter.
——
Chapter 379_Zhongli asks for help
As for Li Ran, Li Ran and Sun Wu rested for a while at Biyang Pass, then headed towards Zhongli and Chen Guo.
Li Ran rode his horse at full speed. If the horse hadn't been too tired, he wouldn't have even bothered to rest. In this way, he arrived at Zhongli in just three days.
As for Yin Shen Wuyu of Zhongli County, he couldn't help but be surprised when he saw the sudden arrival of Li Ran, who was tired of traveling.
"Sir, you have gone and come back. Could it be... could something happen to the king?"
Shen Wuyu's intuition can be said to be extremely keen. After all, he already knew that something would happen to their King of Chu sooner or later. And today Li Ran came back again. If something urgent hadn't happened, how could this happen?
What he didn't expect was that this would happen so quickly.
Li Ran just nodded and took a breath. When Shen Wuyu saw this, his voice couldn't help but tremble:
"Your Majesty, he...is still...?"
"Now that the King of Chu is trapped in Luo Rui, he may be forced into Laishan soon! If he cannot be rescued in time, something unexpected may happen..."
Li Ran didn't finish what he said, but the meaning was already obvious. Shen Wuyu said sadly:
"Hey... what a defeat. It was such a good situation in the past, but it was just because the king insisted on sticking to his own opinions, acting arbitrarily and not listening to our advice, which led to this defeat. It is really a pity! That Mr. Now, do you want me to raise military resources and send troops to rescue the King of Chu?"
Hearing this, Li Ran nodded and said:
"Well, we have to travel day and night without any mistakes! Ran plans to personally lead Zhongli's troops to rescue. The doctor shouldn't think that Li Ran is overstepping his authority, right?"
Shen Wuyu smiled calmly:
"Sir, he is the county magistrate here. Wuyu is just the county magistrate, and he only performs the duties of the county magistrate. Now that sir is here, let alone dispatching troops and generals. Even if Wuyu is withdrawn on the spot, Wuyu will have nothing to do. Complaints! However, on the side of Yi Yin Yi Jiu..."
It turns out that Zhongli's guard general Pei Yin Yijiu is now fully responsible for the control of Zhongli's army, and he is currently repairing the city outside.
Zhongli's territory is connected to the Central Plains to the north and Wu and Chu to the south. Its geographical location is extremely important. There were about 30,000 garrison troops leaving at this time, but precisely because of this, Li Ran could not transfer all the soldiers away, and some must be left to continue to garrison and farm.
In this matter, because Li Ran is the Duke of Zhongli County and the highest official in Zhongli now, it is reasonable for him to give orders.
But after all, these soldiers are all under their command, so if this matter does not have the support of Pei Yin Yijiu, it may not be possible!
So, Shen Wuyu took Li Ran to the city wall and found Yi Yin Yijiu, who was supervising the repairs at this time.
After hearing Li Ran's request, Pei Yin Yijiu immediately said:
"Since I am in trouble, I should do my best to help. But... Zhongli's position is dangerous, so we must be on guard. If Mr. transferred twenty thousand, I'm afraid... Zhongli's city has not yet been completed, and if a thief suddenly comes, The army is suppressing the territory, what should we do?"
"It is said that things have priorities, Lord Pei Yin. Now the King of Chu is in danger. If he cannot go to rescue him, I am afraid that the entire Chu country will be in chaos! How can the general guard the land and fulfill his duties?"
"After all, the King of Chu is the leader of a country, so nothing will happen to him!"
When Pei Yin Yijiu heard this, he also sighed:
"Yi Jiu already understands what Mr. Xi said. I will treat my generals well. And it is related to the rise and fall of the Chu Kingdom. How dare Yi Jiu be negligent in the slightest! I am willing to go with Mr. Xi to rescue him!"
The three of them made up their mind and immediately prepared to send their troops to Xia Rui.
There is no doubt that Shen Wuyu is also following the army. The three of them led the army and hurried away.
Although there are 20,000 people in their group, in fact, only 10,000 are capable of fighting. Just because of the heavy food and baggage, logistics also took up most of it.
During the break, Shen Wuyu came to find Li Ran again and asked what his chances of winning were.
Li Ran, on the other hand, remained silent and said to him:
"With only 20,000 troops and horses, it would be extremely difficult to go deep into the hinterland of the Wu Kingdom to rescue the king. Unfortunately, the nearest prince, Qi Ji Na, could not be counted on at all. The only way to rescue the king was with Chen Changqing, who was found from Sun Changqing. The national reinforcements have gathered together, and when our two armies encircle Luo Rui, we will definitely succeed!"
"Chen Guo? They also sent troops?"
"The Duke of Chen County has passed through Fengxu. This person has met Chang Qing several times. Chang Qing feels that this person is reliable and should not make any mistakes!"
Shen Wuyu actually knew a thing or two about Sun Wu's military talents.
"I... I'm just worried that the king won't be able to support it until then..."
When Li Ran heard this, he couldn't help but look in the direction of Luo Ru:
"Hey... As the saying goes, 'There is no way for misfortunes and blessings, only people call it upon themselves.' At this moment, we can only resign ourselves to fate!"
"The king of Chu was so unstoppable before, and the state of Chu was in such a good situation, but he has turned it into such a mess! I'm afraid the destiny is no longer with me..."
Obviously, Shen Wuyu was quite disappointed with his lord, King Xiong Wei of Chu. Pei Yin Yijiu glanced at Shen Wuyu and said nothing.
Li Ran also looked at him and said sternly:
"Wuyu, this matter does not only involve the King of Chu! In today's world, only when Jin and Chu are fighting can the world be at peace. If one party is in chaos, the other Central Plains princes will also be in chaos. When internal strife breaks out, people like Ji Wuzi of the Lu State will become more and more unscrupulous in taking advantage of the Lu State. At that time, the people of the Central Plains countries will inevitably become more miserable and dark! Therefore, in the long run, the decline of the Chu State will mean nothing to the world. Not a good thing!"
Afterwards, Li Ran told Shen Wuyu what he and Sun Wu had analyzed before, and finally concluded:
"So, Li is not doing it for selfish reasons, but actually for the peace of the world. He must save the King of Chu this time!"
After hearing this, Shen Wuyu suddenly realized:
"It turns out that the general trend of the Chu Kingdom has such an effect! Listening to Mr. Wu Yu's words made Wu Yu suddenly enlightened! Mr. Wang is concerned about the safety of the world! I am indeed thinking too superficially!"
After resting for a while, the three of them continued to lead the army on their way. Two days later, we finally arrived at Huaru. This place was the only way to go to Xiarui and Luoru. According to the report from Tanma, the city of Huaru was now occupied by the Wu people, with nearly 10,000 soldiers.
At present, whether they want to go to Xiarui to meet up or to Luorui to rescue the King of Chu, they have to pass through Huarui. The Wu people have even built a small town here, which is easy to defend but difficult to attack. They are obviously well prepared. Come.
And if they get entangled here, they will definitely have to go through some troubles. It’s just that time is running out, and it’s urgent to rescue Luo Rui.
Li Ran stood on a high place, observing the slippery terrain while sending people to find a way around it. But after some searching, it was discovered that taking a detour would be more difficult than capturing this place.
and. If the Wu army stationed at Hua Rui attacked them from behind, their situation would be extremely dangerous.
"If they come out directly from the city and rob our food, grass and baggage, we will be unable to move forward!"
Li Ran thought about this for a long time, and then said:
"General Yi Jiu!"
"The general is here!"
"You lead three thousand troops and set up camp twenty miles in front of the city, pretending to be a force approaching the city!"
"Here!"
"Wuyu, you lead four thousand troops to ambush on the flanks. If the opponent dares to come out of the city to attack, support General Yi Jiu in time. They probably still don't know how many troops we have, so they probably won't fight with all their strength. If The other party is just a test, and the whereabouts must not be exposed. Just leave it to General Yi Jiu to deal with it on his own! Be sure to connect it end to end and advance and retreat with evidence!"
Shen Wuyu also accepted the order, and then Li Ran said:
"I will personally take charge of the rest of the troops! The food, grass and supplies will be relocated to the twenty-mile camp directly behind General Yi Jiu, leaving people to guard them!"
Li Ran also divided the deployment of troops in detail, and all corps commanders and commanders obeyed Li Ran's orders.
Finally, Shen Wuyu and Bi Yinyijiu took their orders and left.
