Ximen, Jize County.
The giant Lin Yu dragged his mace covered with blood and staggered towards the city gate corridor, stepping on the messy corpse.
Groups of spearmen from the Second Corps in black military uniforms were lining up through the corridor and quickly entering the inner city. As they passed by the giant, the elites of Baizhan all cast admiring glances. A general came up to talk to Lin Yu and asked him what was going on in the county.
"Where is the granary of Shanxi merchants?"
"Are there any rogues ambushing you in the city?"
"How many of your people are still alive?"
Lin Yu dragged the mace, as if he didn't hear what the commander said, and just walked forward silently.
"Fuck..."
He suddenly stopped mid-sentence. He looked up and saw that Lin Yu's back was densely covered with arrow feathers. A trainer next to him pointed at the giant's retreating figure and whispered:
"That year in Wendeng, this man defeated an enemy of a hundred and killed an enemy general out of a million troops, and saved the Empress Dowager Cisheng."
"What, he, he is Lin Yu?"
The president opened his mouth wide and was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time.
~~~~
Wu Xiao sat slumped at the base of the earthen wall, staring blankly at the endless flow of soldiers, chariots and horses in front of him. The two Ming soldiers who had asked him for tolls were lying next to him, one on the left and the other on the right. But now they have changed. Became a burning corpse.
Wu Xiao was dazed for a while, picked up the chipped waist knife, and began to clean the arrow feathers hanging on the armor. He was shot by more than a dozen light arrows. Fortunately, the armor was fine enough and the arrows did not cause fatal injuries.
"Give."
Seeing Lin Yu walking towards him, Wu Xiao took out half a cigarette from his arms and threw it away.
Lin Yu bent down hard, found a burning corpse, and borrowed fire from the dead man.
Lighting the cigarette, he held the cigarette between his blood-stained pale fingers, put it to his mouth tremblingly, and took a deep breath. The giant was like an old chimney, spewing out a large cloud of thick white mist.
"Big man Lin, it was another bloody battle, and we survived again."
Lin Yu said nothing and turned around silently. Wu Xiao began to help him pull out the arrow feathers one by one.
"Kang Supervisor's army is safe and sound. They are outside the city and are protected by the Second Corps. Our trip has finally fulfilled the emperor's order."
Lin Yu nodded, holding back the pain, but still didn't speak.
"Everyone is dead, and there are only three of us left, you, me, and Li Zicheng."
Following Wu Xiao's hand, at the end of the corridor, sixteen-year-old Li Zicheng was walking towards this side, surrounded by Deng Changxiong.
"Same as we did back then, we have endless energy." Lin Yu looked at Li Zicheng and thought of himself when he was the captain of the Zhejiang Army.
Wu Xiao removed the arrow from his companion, applied golden sore medicine to the wound, and was bandaging it. Deng Changxiong and his trainer Zhan Diyou had already walked over, followed by Li Zicheng who had just fought a bloody battle.
"Song Yingsheng ran away. All my people are dead and I can't catch him."
His tone was surprisingly calm, and he didn't look at Deng Changxiong when he spoke, as if he was talking to himself.
Deng Changxiong knew the temper of the Sanyuan knights. Looking at the corpses of the Imperial Guards scattered on the ground, the chief officer suddenly felt guilty. If he had not wasted time at Linming Pass yesterday, so many people would not have died.
The training officer Zhan Diyou did not dare to look at Wu Xiao's blood-red eyes, and whispered: "Captain Wu, there is no resurrection after death, so we should bury the brothers of the Imperial Guard as soon as possible." After saying this, he reached out to help him. This is the chief officer of the Imperial Guard.
Wu Xiao pushed away the training officer of the Second Corps and walked out of the city without looking back.
The weeping willows on the banks of the Liulei River were in ruins, and a streak of blood-red haze was reflected in the black water.
Everyone looked at each other in shock. Just as Li Zicheng was about to explain something to Deng Changxiong, the big man Lin Yu stood up and said:
"He looked like this at the Hunhe battlefield back then, watching his brothers die one by one, and it's like this again now."
After Lin Yu finished speaking, he said nothing more and followed with a limp, holding a mace.
Deng Changxiong didn't care about the two of them, and shouted loudly to Lin Yu's back:
"Lin Yu, please stay!"
Lin Yu didn't look back and continued to stagger forward.
Deng Changxiong continued from behind: "The Second Corps will stay in Guangping Mansion for a while. Kang Supervisor has a letter here to deliver to the Supreme Emperor, asking you to take it back to Luoyang! This matter is very important!"
Lin Yu stopped suddenly.
"Where is the letter?"
~~~~
Song Yingsheng, who had both sides, received strong support from the Daxi Army and Shanxi merchants this time.
Both parties regarded Song Shangshu as a key figure who could turn the tide and change the situation - facts proved that Song Yingsheng had indeed achieved the latter point.
Emperor Daxi rewarded Song Yingsheng with 20,000 taels of silver and asked him to rush to Henan and recruit the Qi army. Zhang Zicheng's original words were, "If that donkey Liu Zhaosun is willing to surrender to Daxi, I can make him a disobedient marquis."
After the Shanxi merchants learned that Song Yingsheng's younger brother was Song Yingxing, the current Minister of Industry of Daqi, they regarded Song Yingsheng as the savior to mediate relations with Qi. Eight merchants pooled 50,000 taels of silver to allow Song Shangshu to work with him. Qi State made peace and spared Guangping Prefecture and stopped attacking Shanxi.
After Song Yingsheng accepted the money, he forgot about the orders placed on him by both parties, immediately recruited troops, and even offered extremely generous rewards to his subordinates:
Whoever kills Lin Yu and Wu Xiao will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver, and whoever captures the two alive will be rewarded with a reward of ten thousand taels of silver.
There must be brave men under the heavy reward. The former Ming soldiers, Shanxi merchant caravans, and green-skinned scoundrels around Guangping Mansion all went out one after another, all rushing for the 10,000 taels of silver, hoping to capture Lin and Wu alive. Thousands of ragtag generals Lin Yu and others were crowded around. Fighting from early morning to noon, not only did not a single imperial prisoner be captured, but our own side suffered heavy casualties. When everyone retreated and settled for the next best thing, preparing to kill two people in exchange for a thousand taels of silver, reinforcements from the Second Corps arrived from Luoyang Starry Night Suddenly arrived at Jize and immediately began to attack the city.
The next plot was basically the same as Linming Pass. After the defenders made a symbolic resistance, they dispersed and fled in all directions.
After the artillery arrived in Jize County one after another, they immediately launched a fierce bombardment at the top of the city. Except for a few desperate Shanxi merchants who were still resisting at the top of the city, most of the defenders had fled. These defenders were all from the Ming army. Kaiyuan soldiers have been seen on various battlefields, and no one dares to fight against such an opponent.
How can you make money even if you work hard?
Half an hour ago, when the Sword and Shield Soldiers of the Second Corps finally used battering rams to open the Qianjin Gate of the West Gate, everyone was shocked by the scene in the Wengcheng. Hundreds of corpses fell densely on the left and right sides of the trench in the Wengcheng. In the middle of the mountain of corpses, There were three or four blood-stained people standing there.
~~~~~
Deng Changxiong looked at Lin Yu's retreating back and said thoughtfully: "The Supreme Emperor said that Lin Yu was a blessed general in the Kaiyuan Army. Looking at it today, it is indeed true."
Zhan Diyou glanced at the fallen corpses around him and gritted his teeth and said: "The Eight Shanxi Merchants are really rich, so many people work for them! This must have ruined all their wealth, hahahahaha!"
Deng Changxiong's eyes were serious and he couldn't laugh. He turned to look at Li Zicheng and asked, "Where is the dog thief?"
"Escaped. When you were outside attacking the city, he escaped with his servants,"
Zhan Diyou cursed: "Damn it, I thought I was in trouble, but I didn't expect that he could run faster than a rabbit. Consider him lucky this time! This turtle grandson has been causing trouble to us for many years, and he can escape every time." !”
The sound of squeaking wheels came from the corridor, and everyone followed the sound. Kang Yingqian's carriage was slowly entering the city. A group of soldiers surrounded the convoy, and several sword and shield soldiers were guarding it holding long signs.
A horse on a pond galloped from the city, reined in the horse and stopped in front of Deng Changxiong, shouting: "General! We found the granary and the bank, and before the things were moved away, we arrested a dozen clerks and accountants."
Deng Changxiong ordered in a loud voice: "My general ordered me to seal up the treasury immediately, and arrange for two generals to take the civil affairs officers, town soldiers, and training officers to check the supplies. All the captured Shanxi merchant caravans were put into the dungeon. Leave it to Brother Li for interrogation."
Li Zicheng bowed his hands to Deng Changxiong, and when he followed Tang Ma down, there was a look of unruliness in his sharp eyes.
Kang Yingqian's carriage stopped beside the corridor, and his thin body leaned out of the carriage.
Deng Changxiong and others quickly saluted Kang Yingqian. Kang Yingqian, supported by his servants, stepped out of the carriage. Just as he was about to greet everyone, he raised his eyes and saw his nephew Kang Jingxiu.
"Uncle, the Kang family is gone."
"Jingxiu, get up. I have caused you to suffer. I am so ashamed."
Kang Yingqian pushed Chen Sheng away, staggered to his nephew, lifted Kang Jingxiu up with force, held his nephew's face with both hands, and carefully avoided the scars on his cheeks.
"Jingxiu, you have been smart since childhood. You have been living in poverty for ten years. Although you have no talent in the world, you still have knowledge that can be applied in the world. When I was in charge of Kaiyuan, in order to avoid suspicion, I never allowed you to become an official. In the first year of Wuding, you took part in the imperial examination. , you have already won the second place, but I also asked the invigilator to name you, and only said to the outside world that you are not material for the scientific examination..."
"Uncle, you!"
Kang Jingxiu subconsciously raised his fist, and when he saw all the former Kang Ying cadres around him were looking at him, he had no choice but to lower his raised fist angrily.
"Uncle, why are you so confused! As the ancients said, do not avoid relatives when doing things internally, and do not avoid enemies when doing things externally. A benevolent person has no choice in doing good, and there is no evil. There is only goodness. Why do you want to take away my fame!"
Kang Yingqian laughed and waved to his nephew, telling him not to get excited.
"I have recommended you to the Supreme Emperor. You have outstanding literary talent and can enter the Hanlin Academy. You will stay with the Supreme Emperor from now on."
After hearing this, Kang Jingxiu suddenly turned from anger to joy, and looked at his uncle more like a filial son.
"Uncle, there are only two uncles and nephews left in the Kang family. I will take care of you from now on..."
At this time, a strange cry suddenly sounded from behind the carriage.
"Who said there are only two in the Kang family? Aren't I still here?"
The romantic and suave Kang Guangxu stepped forward and stared eagerly at the cousin in front of him who wanted to compete with him for the family property.
Zhan Diyou took a step forward and said with a smile: "Mr. Kang, in order to escort you to retire and return to your hometown, so that you can enjoy your old age in Jize County, the Emperor put up such a large formation and dispatched thousands of soldiers. Are you moved?"
"Don't dare to move, Instructor Zhan, but don't worry. Go back and tell the Supreme Emperor that I will stay in Jize County from now on, open a traditional Chinese medicine shop in the county town, and sell Vajra Powder. I will not go anywhere."
Deng Changxiong smiled awkwardly and stepped forward to ask Kang Yingqian if he needed anything else. He could leave a few guards behind to protect Kang Yingqian.
"Is this what the Emperor meant, or did you make your own decision?"
Deng Changxiong did not answer this question.
Kang Yingqian smiled and said: "What should we leave behind? General Deng is here, and Jize County will be saved. As long as the Qi Dynasty's land system continues to be implemented, in less than half a month, Jize County will be like Kaiyuan. If the roads are not picked up, the houses will not be closed at night, and there will be nothing." You bad guy, I can just relax at home and have some free time."
"Mr. Deng Qian, you are so polite when you speak, you don't look like a martial artist anymore."
Zhan Diyou mysteriously pulled Kang Yingqian over and said, "Master Kang, you don't know something. General Deng is commanding tens of thousands of soldiers and horses. He is no longer the little General Qian he used to be!"
After Kang Yingqian heard this, he raised his trembling old hands, stroked his gray beard, and murmured:
"You should treat each other with admiration after three days of separation. We have not seen each other for a year. You are all changing. With your assistance, the Supreme Emperor has a strong army and a strong horse. He has great potential. Okay, okay."
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