In the Battle of Qinggu, although more than 10,000 Tianyun Guards were defeated, they were still able to defeat the Tang Army. After that, Qi Shao organized his army to pursue and defeated the Tang Army again by the Ying River. The remaining Tang Army was frightened and fled across the Ying River in a hurry. Qi Shao originally wanted to make a big move. Crossed the Yingjiang River and completely annihilated the Tang army.
When Qi Shao ordered his sergeants to cut down trees, he received a letter from military commander Fan Mou Fei Ge. After a quick read, Qi Shao gave up the idea of pursuing the remnants of Tang's army and immediately ordered the entire army to return to Luzhou.
The flags were fluttering and moving in the wind. The twenty thousand armored soldiers looked solemn, and the fierce killing intent emanated from their bodies. As they walked, the ground became more solemn. As the sun set, the stars and the moon rose, and the night passed over the faces of the soldiers until they led the army in front. The character Qi Yun is very majestic on the hunting banner beside his body.
Even though the man leading the troops was wearing ordinary armor, no matter the moonlight fell on his face, showing his initial coldness, or the firmness in his eyes at this moment, he seemed to be a different person than he had been a month before.
The Qi Yun soldiers walking behind them all had solemn expressions, and they were not aware at all that they were a group of warriors who were returning from the battlefield after defeating the 130,000-strong Southern Tang Army with an outnumbered enemy.
But when the moonlight illuminated the eyes of these soldiers, the red light in their eyes could be seen clearly. Under the night, the army was nowhere to be seen, only thousands of red lights could be seen moving forward silently in the night.
At such a strange scene, not only did the leader not show any surprise, but the same strange red light appeared in his eyes. However, compared with the strangeness in Sergeant Qi Yun's eyes after he stood up, the red light in the leader's eyes was like a sparkling formation in the night, shining brightly. more than.
Fortunately, there were no homes in the wilderness at night. Otherwise, if ordinary people saw it, they might have seen a ghost and be frightened to death on the spot.
Seeing that Luzhou City could be seen in the distance, the leader had a sinister smile on his lips and slowly raised his hand. In the night, if it was normal, the soldiers behind him would not be able to see clearly, but now the leader is raising his hand. When he raised his hand, the generals behind him seemed to have received the order instantly and stopped moving forward at the same time.
Under his sword eyebrows, he raised his eyes slightly and looked at the light of the torch below Luzhou City. He closed his eyes slightly. The generals behind him also stood with their eyes closed like him. The whole army fell into dead silence. When the winter wind blew by, only I heard the sound of hunting, but no more sounds.
In the darkness, if you look closely, you can see that the leading general has a rein in one hand and a string of white jade beads hanging on the other wrist. At this time, he is twisting the string of jade beads. After a few breaths, he suddenly opens his eyes. , the red light in the leader's eyes has disappeared and returned to a clear state.
Looking back at the vaguely visible Qinggu, he hung the jade arm back on his wrist, withdrew his gaze, closed his eyes again and waited quietly until there was a commotion from the army behind him, and the leading general opened his eyes.
"We are..."
"Master Wu, why are we going back to Luzhou again? Aren't we confronting the Tang army in Yingjiang?"
"No, I seem to be in a dream...killing countless Tang troops. I only remember...Tang Jun fled from the warehouse..."
The soldiers seemed to be waking up from a dream, whispering to each other, while the generals on horseback also looked like they were waking up from a dream, looking at each other and talking in low voices.
"Old Liu, do you remember why we are here?"
"I don't remember. I just remember that we charged towards the Tang army...I can't remember what happened after that. Brother Hu Yi? Do you remember?"
"I'm confused. I seem to have been drunk. I seem to have some impression of what you said. I don't remember what happened after that."
...
When all the soldiers were talking about their doubts, they heard that the leader in front had unhorsed and turned around. Everyone looked and saw the man under the banner with bright eyes and sharp eyebrows. They quickly gathered their thoughts, turned over and dismounted, saluted and shouted to this man. .
"I have met His Highness the Crown Prince!"
Qi Shao rode his horse slowly, and all the soldiers consciously gave way and stepped out of the way, allowing the prince to go to the army and listen to his words.
"Brothers, you have bravely fought against the enemy. Our army has defeated the Tang army by the Yingshui River. We have lived up to the expectations of our brothers who sacrificed their lives in Qinggu. The Tang army has retreated and Luzhou is safe!"
The voice of the Crown Prince resounded through the army and reached the ears of every soldier. Everyone was stunned and seemed to have not yet recovered. It was not until a moment later that the army issued a voice.
The cheers gradually gained momentum, and Qi Yun's officers and men all celebrated with their foreheads and hands. Although there were only a few people left, they seemed to be frowning and thinking, recalling the various battles between them and the Tang army. But after the tea time, there were also cheers, They all celebrated together and put their doubts behind...
"Okay, although the Tang army has temporarily retreated, we still need to guard Luzhou strictly to prevent the Tang army from regaining its strength and crossing the Yingjiang River again! Pass the order and return to Luzhou to rest tonight!" The prince saw the soldiers' happy expressions and moved his eyes slightly. As soon as he ordered the march, he turned around and headed towards Luzhou. Seeing this, all the officers and men restrained their expressions of joy, quickly lined up and marched towards Luzhou.
——
The south gate of Luzhou was wide open, and the defenders were already waiting outside the city gate, each holding a torch and looking forward to it. In front of the defenders, General Zhou Min and Military Advisor Fan Mou stood in the cold wind, looking at the darkness ahead. The scenery, waiting for the prince's return. Read the book
In the vast dark night, a little fire suddenly appeared, and then thousands of torches were like dragons snaking in the night, cruising towards Luzhou City. The hunting Qiyun banner was very bright under the light of the fire. conspicuous.
Fan Mou's slender eyes were suddenly filled with joy, and he hurriedly spoke to his side.
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has returned victorious!"
When the defenders heard this, they all opened their mouths and shouted in unison: "Welcome to His Majesty the Crown Prince for defeating the Tang army and returning victoriously!"
The people in the city heard that the Tang army retreated, and their hanging hearts finally dropped. When the Luzhou prefect abandoned the people to escape, the people thought that they were going to die under the sharp sword of the Tang army. It only took a short time for King Yun's army to enter the city. Not only did they deal with The people of Qiu did not commit any offense, and now they have repelled the Tang army and saved Luzhou City.
For a time, the entire sky above Luzhou City was filled with cheers. Amid the jubilation throughout the city, there was only one person who showed no signs of joy and looked solemnly and worried as he looked at Qi Yun's army that was gradually approaching Luzhou.
This man was none other than General Zhou Min. Although his internal injuries had not healed, he still insisted on coming with Fan Mou. At this moment, he was whispering to himself: "The enemy is outnumbered and we are outnumbered. Among the ten thousand armies, capture the enemy's chief general...and then lead the army." Go out on an expedition, defeat the enemy with a small number, and return with a great victory... I think even if King Yun and his old man go to the expedition in person, it would be difficult for him to do it. Is it because I, Zhou Min, underestimated His Highness, or I have another hidden agenda..."
Watching the leader gradually approaching from a distance, until he was more than ten feet away, Zhou Min temporarily collected his thoughts, and without waiting for Fan Mou to stand beside him, he stood up and rode forward to greet the general.
"It seems that General Zhou is no longer seriously injured, which is really a blessing for me, Qi Yun!" The prince led his army forward and saw the pale Zhou Min, his mouth full of joy.
Zhou Minhe and others, who had accompanied King Yun in battles for half their lives, could tell with just one glance that the prince in front of them seemed to be a different person compared to a few days ago. Although his sword-like brows and bright eyes were still the same, there was something missing in his gaze. A little bit more courteous than before, a little bit more domineering and arrogant.
Without making a move, Zhou Min got off his horse and saluted Qi Shao according to military etiquette: "Zhou Min made a mistake in his judgment, which resulted in the overwhelming defeat of our army and put the prince in danger. Please punish me!"
When all the soldiers saw Zhou Min kneel down and salute, they all thought that His Royal Highness would lift up this veteran minister who had followed King Yun for many years to comfort him as usual. However, unexpectedly, Qi Shao was still sitting on the horse and spoke calmly.
"Victory and defeat are common matters for military officers. Moreover, if General Zhou had not led the army to come to the rescue, my son would have been killed in Qinggu. How could he capture Tang Zaixing... That's all. General, don't do anything about Qinggu. Keep this in mind, although our army has temporarily defeated the Tang army, the remnants of the enemy have fled across the river, and we don’t know if they will come back in full force. Our army should rest and reorganize quickly and send troops to win the river to prevent the Tang army from coming again."
Although the words were comforting, everyone heard some perfunctory words from the prince's mouth. Although Zhou Min saw that the prince was in danger, everyone knew that it was the prince who insisted on chasing the enemy. For a while, I didn't dare to go out and speak at will.
Just when the scene was in an embarrassing situation, Fan Mou emerged from the crowd, leaned over to help Zhou Min, and spoke to the prince on horseback: "General Zhou is the favorite general of King Yun. There is nothing wrong with the use of troops this time. According to Fan, it was also the result of the cunning leader of the Tang army. General Zhou should not take it to heart. His Highness also said that victory or defeat is a common matter for military officers..."
Zhou Min looked at the strangeness in the prince's eyes, and became even more certain about his guess. His eyes moved slightly, and he immediately threw away Fan Mou's arm and said to Qi Shao: "The prince is right. Tang Jun's attack Retreat, I wonder if the whole army will come again, so
In Zhou’s opinion, since the prince has captured Tang Zaixing, he might as well interrogate him overnight to get a glimpse of the Tang army’s true and false status..."
"My prince will consider General Zhou's advice. However, the leader of the Tang army's thieves is highly skilled in martial arts. My prince has ordered that he be strictly guarded. No one is allowed to see him without my order!" Before Zhou Min could finish speaking, the prince's eyes were filled with laughter. There was already a hint of impatience, and when he spoke, it was clear that there was no room for doubt, and then his eyes moved and turned to Military Advisor Fan Mou.
Frowning his brows, Zhou Min looked at the Crown Prince, whose temperament had changed drastically in just a short period of time. He could only keep silent and retreat, watching helplessly as the Crown Prince led his army into the city surrounded by people, and wanted to dissuade him. , maybe he was too worried, involving internal injuries, and the violent cough recurred, making the famous general stagger slightly. Seeing this, Fan Mou beside him had already walked quickly. When he supported Zhou Min, he whispered softly in his ear.
"General, it's better to go back to the other courtyard to rest first. Your Majesty has led his army in a series of battles. I think he is already exhausted. It's not too late to wait until tomorrow for the general to persuade him again."
Zhou Min took a breath for a moment and finally calmed down the burning feeling in his chest. Looking at the back of the prince who had gone away, he could only nod slightly and acquiesced to Fan Mou's method.
The army returned to the city and each returned to camp to rest and recuperate. The rest went to their posts to defend the city without any problems.
In the general's tent in the city, the prince, who had taken off his armor, had put on a light robe, holding jade in his hands. He was pacing back and forth in the tent. After days of fighting, it seemed that the prince Qi Shao did not show any signs of fatigue. His eyes were still bright. God, the pace is getting faster and faster, as if waiting for someone.
After lighting a stick of incense, there was a rush of footsteps outside the tent, and the guards scolded and asked questions, but they were stopped when the man revealed his identity...
Upon hearing this man's steps, Qi Shao stopped pacing, turned his eyes slightly, and spoke softly outside the tent: "Fan Mou?"
"It is Fan Mou. His Royal Highness seems to have not rested yet." Fan Mou spoke very calmly.
"My prince has been waiting for you for a long time. Come into the tent and talk!"
When Fan Mou was carried into the tent, the guards outside the tent had already retreated. There were only two people around the general's tent, Qi Shao and Fan Mou.
"Did Zhou Min take a break?" The prince stopped holding his jade holder and asked.
Fan Mou saluted, raised his eyes and responded: "Zhou Min is not like others in the army. He has followed King Yun for many years and has experienced hundreds of battles..."
"There is no need to say this. If you don't want to march south, you need a general to lead the army...Did Yan Ruohai get my order? When will he come?"
"The Yan Guard Army has obtained the order of the crown prince and is probably on its way to Luzhou..."
At this point, Fan Mou showed hesitation in his long and narrow eyes, which was caught by the crown prince Qi Shao. A trace of displeasure flashed in his eyes. The crown prince spoke in a low tone and asked: "You should know my temperament. You sent me this letter." Is it accurate?"
Fan Mou immediately understood, bowed his hands and said: "The military reports from the North and Zhongzhou have verified that His Royal Highness the Prince set up an ambush in Wugui Mountain. With the assistance of Gu Jianyi, he defeated the Northern Jin Dynasty and Zong Yan was seriously injured and escaped... King Yun has also Defeat the Xiongnu in Zhongzhou..."
Hearing the words, the Crown Prince turned around, silently, and kept twisting the jade holder in his hand. Fan Mou narrowed his long and narrow eyes, turned left and right for a moment, stepped forward, and asked in a low voice: "Your Highness, Crown Prince, please forgive me." The plan bluntly stated that the northern border and Zhongzhou have been decided, and I think the Zhao family's energy is not exhausted yet..."
"Master Military Advisor."
The prince interrupted with words, raised his eyes slightly, and the candlelight in the tent was reflected in his eyes, as if his eyes were ignited by the light of the candlelight, with a slight red glow.
"During these days when I was fighting with the Tang army, I asked you to try to contact the people in Zhaodu. How about it?"
Hearing this, Fan Mou hurriedly put away the light in his eyes, bowed his head and said respectfully: "It's done!"
"What else is missing?" The prince looked back for a moment, and the invisible pressure in his eyes forced Fan Mou to feel panic rising in his chest.
Looking around, Fan Mou tried his best to lower his voice and said: "If you want to control people with drugs, maybe... maybe only the Tang Sect can do it..."
"So, is it right for me to keep Tang Zaixing alive?" The prince turned around, the red light in his eyes had disappeared.
