"Prime Minister Zhou, Beiyi sent someone to send...several corpses..." A general reported to Zhou Ziru with some hesitation.
Zhou Ziru glanced at him and already guessed it: "Tell me."
"There are four corpses in total, Duke Zhongyi and his wife, as well as the prisoner Duan Tong and Duke Wu Ding's apprentice." The general felt a little relieved when he saw Zhou Ziru's calm look, and expected that Zhou Ziru knew about it.
"Together with Chen Congwei, Yin Yang Bazi and Taiyi, they will be transported to the capital to await His Majesty's disposal."
Although Zhou Ziru guessed it, he would inevitably feel a little sad in his heart. The war in Jincheng is about to begin, and it would not be a good thing to leave their bodies here.
On the wall of Jincheng, Fang Qianlong sat alone at the top of the city, looking north without saying a word.
A person walked behind him, his steps were steady and slow, and Fang Qianlong guessed who it was.
"When my father entrusted me to you, I was not convinced. But as a little beggar, why should I, the eldest young master of the Fang family, listen to your orders? Oh, I later found out that my father was right."
"It's a pity that I don't have the blessing to follow you from beginning to end..."
Yi Xiaodao shook his head gently: "I didn't know kung fu at that time. If you follow me, I'm afraid it will delay you. Isn't this good?"
"Well, there are Xian'er, Ling'er, a wife and children, and I somehow became the leader of the Beggar Clan. What could be better than this? It's just...sometimes I envy them for being able to follow you all the way... "
Yi Xiaodao chuckled: "What's the use of following me, they're all dead... I can't save anyone..."
"You know everything?" Fang Qianlong looked back at Yi Xiaodao in surprise.
Fang Qianlong knew that after Li Dingxing and others left, he had been sitting on the northern wall of Jincheng. Unexpectedly, his body was waiting for them, but the whole army was still wiped out...
I thought I would hide it from Yi Xiaodao for a while, but I didn't expect him to find out so quickly.
Yi Xiaodao nodded: "Lian'er's temperament has always been like that, straightforward. What she wants to do must be done. I can't stop her, and no one can stop her."
Fang Qianlong frowned and pondered, most of the city was composed of Yulin troops, Yi Xiaodao not only lost his subordinates, but there were not many people he could get close to.
Even Wang Xuan has no soldiers and is idle all day long. How did he get the news so quickly?
Yi Xiaodao patted Fang Qianlong on the shoulder: "You have a heavy responsibility. Ling'er and Xian'er cannot live without you. What's more, there are tens of thousands of Beggar Clan disciples in Daqi, and they must be led by someone. You go back to the capital."
Fang Qianlong was slapped by Yi Xiaodao, and when he came to his senses, he shook his head: "I have made arrangements, and they all support me. If I leave now, I'm afraid I won't have peace of mind for the rest of my life."
"However, although there are many disciples of my Beggar Clan, there are still very few people who practice martial arts. And...most of them are really poor people who have eaten their last meal without finishing their meal. I don't want to give them any more in this war." Get involved.”
Fang Qianlong had previously been ordered by Zhao Yizhi to lead nearly 10,000 Beggar Clan disciples to Western Shu to help put down the rebellion. It's a pity that along the way, the Beggar Clan disciples fell behind and ran away. They were a complete ragtag group, and in the end they were of no use.
While Fang Qianlong was furious, he also understood that these poor people were really embarrassing.
Yi Xiaodao shook his head: "Among the various factions in the Central Plains, the current Beggar Gang is already the most heroic and courageous."
Fang Qianlong didn't know whether Yi Xiaodao was sincerely praising him or simply comforting him. He smiled and said nothing.
While the two were talking, Wang Xuan also climbed onto the city wall. When he saw the two of them, he walked over, followed by a young soldier. He was wearing sharp clothes and complete armor, but his face could not be seen clearly.
"You guys are here, making it easy for me to find you." Wang Xuan said first with a smile.
Yi Xiaodao turned back to look at Wang Xuan and said with a smile: "It's great to be able to see my old friend again."
Yi Xiaodao has been either unconscious or fighting back to the city these days. It is true that he and Wang Xuan have not seen each other for a long time.
Wang Xuan raised his eyebrows: "Old friends... they are everywhere in the world, it depends on whether you can find them with your eyes."
Both Yi Xiaodao and Yi Xiaodao were a little confused. Wang Xuan turned sideways slightly and said with a smile: "Master Yi, please look, do you still recognize who this is?"
Behind Wang Xuan, I saw a young man looking up and smiling, with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, red lips and white teeth. What a good look!
Yi Xiaodao looked at it carefully and shook his head gently: "This boy is so beautiful, I have never seen him before."
"Brother Yi Xiaodao, why did you forget me? You even had dinner at my house!" The young man couldn't help but said, but it was a woman's voice.
woman? Yi Xiaodao was a little confused. When was he at this woman's house...
"Ah! It's you!"
Yi Xiaodao suddenly remembered that this person was brought by Wang Xuan, and he was so old...
Seeing that Fang Qianlong still looked confused, Wang Xuan explained: "This is what happened when Lord Yi fought against the Japanese in Donglu. This girl was a child at that time, but she also went to her house for a dinner. "
"Master Wang, please don't make fun of me. You all bought the dinner and the food and wine. I only have four steamed buns at home..."
Talking about the past, the girl's cheeks turned red. It was the four steamed buns and the relief food distributed by Yi Xiaodao...
Yi Xiaodao smiled, and it really felt good to see his old friend: "No, I really like to eat those steamed buns... I haven't eaten such delicious steamed buns for a long time."
The girl took out a cloth bag from behind: "There are no good things at home. This time I came here and only brought some steamed buns made by my mother. Um...it's been so long, I'm afraid it's spoiled..." The girl suddenly thought of something, and her cheeks became pale. More red.
Yi Xiaodao took the cloth bag and took out two steamed buns. They were indeed sour and sticky, with some tiny fluff growing out.
It is indeed inedible.
"White flour is a good thing. It's such a waste to bring it all the way here." Yi Xiaodao shook his head sadly.
Suddenly, Yi Xiaodao noticed five words on the cloth bag. The words were red and seemed to be written in blood: "Master Yi is short of troops."
"Is this?" Yi Xiaodao was stunned.
"Those who left with Master Yi's recruitment have all gone back..."
"Gululu..."
Before the girl could finish her words, her stomach growled and she lowered her head in embarrassment.
"Hahahaha, are you hungry? Come on, you invited me to dinner back then, and I'll treat you this time!" Yi Xiaodao waved his hand, and even Fang Qianlong and Wang Xuan also "got the benefit."
There are almost no people in Jincheng, and only a few restaurants are still open, but without the chef, it is no longer possible to cook delicious meals. Just some home-cooked food to fill our stomachs.
At the dinner table, Yi Xiaodao and the others ordered some appetizers and drank wine. However, the girl had already finished several large bowls of rice and looked like she was gobbling it down, which really shocked the three of them.
"Ruru, how long has it been since you last eaten?" Yi Xiaodao asked with a frown.
The girl smiled naively: "Brother Yi Xiaodao, you still remember my name! I eat every day, it's just that I have a large appetite... But despite my large appetite, I also have a lot of strength. When it comes to work, my father Not as good as me!"
"After Brother Yi Xiaodao came here, life at home was much better than before. No more Japanese people came to harass us, and the things Wan Yanzong took away were also returned. My father still provides a raw card to Yi every day. Brother Xiaodao, you are offering incense!"
This time, it was Yi Xiaodao who blushed. In fact, what he did back then did not take these specific people at the bottom into consideration at all. All they did was use the empty word "World".
Even going to her house for dinner is nothing more than caring for a little girl's dream...
"By the way, your armor and the words on that bag..." Yi Xiaodao asked the question in his mind.
Ruru replied: "Brother Yi Xiaodao, I'm here to join the army! There's going to be a war with Beiyi soon, so I'm here!"
"The words on this bag..." Ruru lowered her head, as if she didn't dare to say anything.
"Those words... were written by me back then..." Wang Xuan took the initiative to admit: "Back then, I left food to the Ruru family, and I wrote these words with blood..."
Yi Xiaodao suddenly realized, no wonder so many villagers came to join the army the next day! This matter has been hidden from him for so many years, and he didn't know it until now!
When Ruru saw Wang Xuan voluntarily admitting it, she felt less burdened and said with a naive smile: "I...I don't have any good bags at home, so I can only bring this bag..."
"What happened when you surrendered to the army? Please tell me in detail." Yi Xiaodao continued to ask.
"Those people whom brother Yi Xiaodao conquered back then all came back. But as soon as they returned to their hometown, everyone didn't like them and said they were cowards. Later...many of them died in depression."
"A few days ago, a disciple from the village who asked Xiangge came home to visit relatives and told us a lot about brother Yi Xiaodao. Only then did we know that brother Yi Xiaodao had been resisting the Beiyi army on the front line. The villagers voluntarily signed up to apply. Join the army, report to the county government, and here we are."
"Then you...you are a daughter, how come your parents agree to you joining the army?" Yi Xiaodao was puzzled.
Ruru said dissatisfied: "What's wrong with my daughter's family? I have enough strength, I'm not afraid at all! And before I came, my father and mother told me that even if I die, I can't be caught by Beiyi, lest they ask anything." , maybe even insult me! Don’t underestimate me, I know everything!”
Everything Yi Xiaodao wanted to say was blocked. Since his parents said so, it seemed that he was indeed determined to send Ruru over.
"My father was packing things that day and accidentally saw this bag. The words on the bag were written in blood by Brother Wang Xuan. My father cried at that time... saying that we can't let such a good man suffer like this in the north..."
"If my father hadn't been too old and my mother was in poor health and needed someone to take care of her, my father would have come too!"
Yi Xiaodao's head slowly dropped. He naturally knew how poor the people at the bottom were.
When he was in Wancheng, he still had the desire to serve the country and protect the people, but over the years, he gradually seemed to be focusing on He Yue'er...
But these people who had received his kindness never forgot him for a moment...
"Ruru, promise me something." Yi Xiaodao said in a sincere tone.
"I obey Wu Dinggong's instructions!" Ruru suddenly stood aside, and then quickly knelt down, her movements clean and neat, and a chilling aura came towards her.
Ruru moved quickly, and Yi Xiaodao moved even faster. He quickly supported Ruru with both hands, preventing her from kneeling down: "Yes, you look like a brave warrior charging into battle, but I don't want to see you like this. If possible, I would rather see you wearing a floral skirt, raising a husband and raising children."
"This thing for me is neither difficult nor difficult. I don't know how many of you are here. I hope you can tell those people, whether you know them or not, tell as many people as you can. Let you, let them take care of themselves. Live."
Yi Xiaodao looked at the former little girl tenderly, with serious eyes.
"Yes!" Ruru smiled, even though she was wearing armor, she still smiled like a flower.
At the Jincheng County Government Office, a general came in and reported: "Prime Minister Zhou, there are many more troops coming from the south of the city!"
"Where are the troops?"
"Richeng, Qucheng, Yicheng, Rongcheng, there are soldiers and horses from all over the place..."
Zhou Ziru raised his head and saw that the 500,000 troops and horses promised by the imperial court had already arrived. Why did so many troops and horses come again? "How many are there?"
"According to the spies' reports... there are about five to six million people in total..."
