The princess stood in the backyard garden, looking at several cherry trees intently.
When the autumn wind blows, there is actually not much scenery left to enjoy.
The only thing that matters here is the people.
"See you, Princess." Shao Xun bowed and saluted.
Concubine Pei wore a purple scarf today, which added a bit of nobility.
During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, men wore silk scarves on their heads. The word "Lun" sounds the same as "Guan" and is larger. It was mainly used to tie up the hair.
The Lun scarf worn by women has the same sound as "Lun". There are two types. The one worn in warm seasons is smaller and is limited to the head. In the severe cold season of winter, the towel is not only thicker, but also shoulder-length and even extends to half of the arm. It mainly serves to protect against cold.
Purple and white are common colors for women's scarves. For example, the Queen of Shihu likes to wear purple scarves.
Next to the small purple silk scarf, there is also a tortoise shell five-arms pendant, which is very eye-catching as it staggers when walking.
This woman likes to dress up more and more. She used to be very simple.
"What are you looking at?" Concubine Pei asked softly.
"Purple silk scarf under white cherry."
Concubine Pei smiled softly: "Can you write poetry?"
"No. I can only fight and kill."
When she heard the words "fight and kill", Concubine Pei sighed and asked, "I heard Mi Zihui mention that you want me and the prince to live in Jinyong City. Why?"
"Sikong Fengdi went on a northern expedition, but the result is still unknown. News came from the west that Chang'an is recruiting troops on a large scale, and they may have already set off." Shao Xun said: "The palace only has fifty followers to protect it, which is not safe enough."
"Didn't you send fifty more people?"
"It's not enough." Shao Xun shook his head: "Zhang Fang can bring at least 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers and horses. Luoyang may not be able to defend it."
After the past two years, we can almost understand how many troops Chang'an Sima Yong can mobilize. If it doesn't hurt the muscles and bones, there will be about 70,000 people.
In the previous attack on Luoyang, the loss was no less than 20,000, leaving 50,000.
Huangfu Zhong of Qinzhou was still insisting at this time. He heard that Sima Yong also sent some troops to supervise the battle. So if Zhang Fang was ordered to march eastward, it would be good if the troops he brought could be half of the 50,000 people.
In this matter, Huangfuzhong actually contained a large number of Guanzhong troops.
An isolated city, it has been holding on for more than half a year and has never been conquered. However, the imperial court had already taken over his brother's house and transferred it to Shao Xun. Huangfu Zhong's persistence was destined to be disappointed - even if he sent people to break out and ask the imperial court for help, there would probably be no results.
Therefore, the strength of Zhang Fangdong's troops ranged from 20,000 to 30,000, which was probably between this number. Moreover, the autumn harvest is coming soon. After the autumn harvest, there will still be autumn sowing - if wheat is grown - it is not easy for farmers and soldiers to recruit wildly.
Even if Sima Yong no longer cares about farming, he is still afraid of opposition from the people below.
But even if there are only twenty or thirty thousand people, it is not that easy to deal with.
Most of the people who guarded Luoyang were newly recruited troops. They could barely muster the courage to go to the city. The risk of fighting in the field was too great. Shao Xun has made up his mind to defend. He will check the situation first and wait until he can't defend.
"So you are worried that the Western Army will break through the city, capture me and the Crown Prince, and ruin the great cause of the Northern Expedition?" Concubine Pei asked.
She was very smart and figured out the cause and effect in an instant.
"Yes." Shao Xun replied.
"Actually, you are overthinking." Concubine Pei said in a slightly sarcastic tone: "If Yecheng is about to be captured, even if we are captured by Zhang Fang, he will not stop. Besides, Zhang Fang is Although he is crazy, he is not a fool. He may not do anything to us, and Sikong will not bear--"
"I'm worried." Shao Xun said bluntly.
"What are you worried about?" After asking, Concubine Pei felt that this sentence was inappropriate.
This is not the first time. What were you expecting?
He is a young man who is easily impulsive. If he says something embarrassing, how will it end? But this dangerous game is so exciting that it can fill a large part of her empty life.
She even became slightly nervous.
"Worried about the princess...and the prince." Shao Xun replied.
Concubine Pei's tense body slowly relaxed, and her face felt slightly warm. Then he looked at Shao Xun with a slightly mocking look, as if he was laughing at his insincerity.
"What are you going to do if you can't defend Luoyang?" Concubine Pei turned around and asked softly.
"Retreat to Jinyong City."
"Can't Jin Yong City be defended?"
"Take you and the Crown Prince to break out."
Concubine Pei was slightly startled.
Shao Xun did not use the neutral title "Princess", but "you", which made her a little uncomfortable.
"How can you break through easily on a battlefield where the troops are in chaos and arrows are flying?" Concubine Pei turned around and asked.
"I will block the arrow for you." Shao Xun said.
A layer of goosebumps gradually appeared on Concubine Pei's neck, which was as slender as a white swan.
Shao Xun lowered his head slightly, his eyes falling on her chest.
Concubine Pei was wearing a light dark coat today. After she finished saying those words, the upper part of the dark coat had obviously changed.
There was a long silence.
Both of them felt that something was wrong with the atmosphere, but they both indulged in it happily.
"The manor...the manor must also be evacuated, right?" After a long time, Concubine Pei, who gradually calmed down, asked softly.
"Yes." Shao Xun said affirmatively: "Stay here and wait to die. All retreat into Jinyong City."
"You haven't thought about it -" Concubine Pei frowned slightly and said, "What if the Northern Expedition is defeated and the situation becomes uncontrollable?"
Shao Xun couldn't answer for a while.
He has recently been wondering how much history has been changed by him, and the worry in his heart has never gone away. At this time, I was even more worried when I heard the princess mention it.
But he didn't really have much choice.
Not guarding Luoyang and withdrawing directly to the east would be seeking death. Sima Yue will no longer trust him, and will have great doubts about his loyalty and ability.
In fact, he could only stick to Luoyang and deal with Zhang Fang.
Objective analysis shows that even if Luoyang does not defend, there is still Jin Yong City, so he will not fail so easily.
As for whether Sima Ying would go south, he tended not to. Because Sima Yue was still contacting Bingzhou, Youzhou, and Qingzhou to let them attack Yecheng, Sima Ying's strength was no longer as good as before. If he sent the main force south, Yecheng would not be defended, which he could not accept.
Now that the war has reached this point, it's actually a bit of a show-off.
If Sima Yue had the courage and brains, even if he was defeated, he would have led his troops back to Luoyang to clean up the mess. If we work well, we might be able to make a second Northern Expedition.
Based on this deduction, in fact, there is still a chance of winning by staying in Luoyang.
An army of hundreds of thousands, even if only half of them are left. Sima Yue gathered up the defeated troops on the way, and after a rough reorganization, he took them back to Luoyang. Under attack from inside and outside, Zhang Fang, who was short of troops, could only run away - who let Huangfu hold back a large number of Guanzhong soldiers and horses? ?
Sima Yue wouldn't be so incompetent that he would panic and run around, right?
He is really good at operations, and he has created a lot of cards in the past six months. Even if Sima Ying wins the Battle of Yecheng, as long as he does not completely wipe out the Northern Expedition army, and as long as he does not have the courage to attack Luoyang, he can only sue for peace.
The situation is completely different from half a year ago.
"I still want to defend Luoyang." Shao Xun firmed up his thoughts and said.
Now he does not rely on history, but only judging from the current situation, he can clearly see that although the situation in Luoyang is critical, Zhang Fang's chance of breaking through the city is not absolute.
Even if Sima Yue only had the IQ of the emperor Sima Zhong, he would gather the defeated troops all the way and return to Luoyang to rectify the mess.
He has endured the burden for so many years, how could he be easily frightened?
"Well, I listen to you." Concubine Pei responded softly: "In a few days, call He Lun and Wang Bing over and give them a good hammering so that they can cooperate with you."
Concubine Pei knew very well that as a woman, she should listen to men when it came to serious matters of killing.
Shao Xun nodded and said: "The princess is very organized in her work. She is also a hero among true women."
Concubine Pei rolled her eyes at him, looked around, and sighed: "It's a pity to abandon such a good manor after working hard for half a year."
Some of the trees and flowers were transplanted by her.
"Nothing in Luoyang lasts long." Shao Xun also sighed.
"What are your plans in the future?" Concubine Pei asked, "Will you stay in Luoyang?"
"I'm not qualified to be picky." Shao Xun said sincerely: "Where to go is not up to me."
"Then you asked me to prepare a retreat for Xuzhou?" Concubine Pei blinked and asked.
"I thought too simply at the beginning. There are some things that I am not sure about, so I can only do that." Shao Xun said helplessly.
"Are you sure now?"
"Now I am confident that at least some of the soldiers are willing to follow me and move to other places. The choice is not so narrow."
"Then you just go with the flow?"
"Yes." Shao Xun nodded and said: "I said, I have no qualifications to pick and choose. When the real vacancies come out, they are snatched away by others after a moment's hesitation. Now if there are real vacancies in Sizhou, I will dare to want!"
Concubine Pei looked a little startled.
Eagle, when hungry, it is useful; when full, it is far away.
Some birds cannot be contained.
Some people have to leave eventually and cannot stay in one place forever.
After going to a distant place, he will meet other people who appreciate and use him, he will get to know the children of different aristocratic families, and he will meet other women.
"I'm tired, take me back to my house." Concubine Pei ordered with waning interest.
"No." Shao Xun noticed her expression and said nothing, only agreed.
