In the fourth year of Emperor Xin's reign, autumn.
There is already a hint of coolness in the cold northern land, and Chongcheng, which has been relatively peaceful this year, is gradually gaining a lot of life and smiles.
And when Dashang's army came to Chongcheng again, the people in Chongcheng finally panicked.
"Isn't this the royal flag of Chaoge? Why is it here again? Isn't it going to be a war this time?"
The folk customs are strong and the Lao Chong people who are happy to hear the war are also silent in their hearts. They advocate force and like military exploits. This is not wrong, but no one can stand up to fighting one after another.
Let’s count them in detail: the Battle of Fengyang, the Battle of Yancheng, the counter-rebellion of Binzhou, and the invasion of Jizhou, all of them were big battles that were nerve-wracking. If it weren’t for the Mengji Kingdom who came out of Chongcheng and finally defended Jizhou, these old Chong people I dare not even think about how bad Chongguo will get.
Along the way, Chongguo's vitality has recovered a lot, but the population growth does not happen in a year or two. Master Wen sighed secretly in his heart. There is only the last year left before the three-year agreement. He will return to Chaoge next year. , Chonghou Hu is having a hard time.
However, this time when he entered the city, he didn't see Chonghou Hu coming out of the city to greet Master Wang. Hearing that the Grand Master's heart sank, he had watched Chonghu grow up since he was a child. This child never lacked etiquette. There must be something wrong with his absence.
"Lead the way, let me see you Chonghou!" Wen Zhong frowned. After settling the army, he looked impatiently at Mei Wu, who wanted to reward the army, and said in a low voice.
"This... Grand Master, why don't you leave it alone? Marquis Chong is not feeling well. He told the general that I don't need to bother you to go there."
"Absurd, who is he? A powerful warrior who can fight fierce tigers. He is the same age as the king. The king can even drag nine oxen backwards. What disease can make him even miss me as a teacher? I see, he just can't change. Get rid of that lazy habit."
Mei Wu lowered his head and looked a little struggling. After struggling for a moment, he still nodded and led Grand Master Wen and the four generals of the Demon Family to the Hou Mansion alone.
"Hey, Grand Master, we also want some people to advise Chonghou. It has been really hard in Northern Xinjiang these past few years. Too many things have happened. The general and others have also tried to persuade Chonghou. However, the Second Young Master's Death and many changes are like a heart disease, suppressing Chonghou so much that he has been unable to get out of this deep hole. You should not blame him later. Speaking of which, it is also the failure of us ministers to fulfill our duties."
Wen Taishi remained silent, and the four generals of the Demon Family who followed behind him looked at each other.
Speechless all the way, he gradually walked to Chonghou's house. The whole house was filled with a sad atmosphere. Wen Zhong was even more unhappy. This was not Chonghou Hu's style, but after all, it was not his own home, and he was not good at it. Without mentioning the details, I just have some ominous premonitions about Chonghou Hu's condition.
When they walked to the backyard, everyone was stopped by the female family members and told to go and report to Chonghou. Only then did everyone see the man who had been a powerful figure in the northern border for twenty years. The hero who dare not enter the northern border - Chonghou Hu.
This tiger seemed to be sick. His completely gray hair was messy and his back was stooped. He was in his forties and looked half older than Wen Zhong.
The four generals of the Demon Family were shocked. They were also old acquaintances with Chonghou Hu. The haggard old man in front of them could not be Chonghou Hu. They would never believe it. They had only seen each other in Yancheng a few years ago. At that time, they were still friends. Chonghou, who can kill a thousand-legged centipede with ease, will have this kind of virtue.
"Old...teacher! Ahem!" The weak Chonghou Hu showed a pale smile and wanted to salute, but Wen Zhong held him up and prevented him from kneeling down.
"Tiger, what's going on with you? Who made you do this?"
Wen Zhong had a feeling of anger in his chest that he was holding back, and he questioned Chonghou Hu.
"Teacher, no one else is responsible for this. I'm sorry, teacher, I may not be as good as you think. I loved crying when I was young. You always told me that a man can only bleed, not shed tears. But I don’t know why, but I always tend to be sentimental.”
"Tiger is sorry for Zi Shou, and also sorry for your respect, teacher. You asked me to guard the Northern Territory, but look at this Northern Territory. It's as bad as a ghost land. How can I be able to shoulder so many important responsibilities?"
Wen Zhong looked at the glistening eyes of the tiger and couldn't help but reached out to touch Chonghou Tiger's old cheek. His eyes were a little red, and he kept comforting: "This is not your fault. Really, this is Yuan Futong's fault." , It’s the fault of those bastards in Binzhou, it’s Su Hu’s fault, don’t always like to take all the blame on yourself, it’s really tiring for you to do this.”
"How can I stay out of this matter? Chongguo has been corrupted, has no successors, and is surrounded by wolves. Teacher, how can a mediocre person like me lead Northern Xinjiang into the abyss? Teacher, I am too tired, I'm really tired."
"Why are you tired? Look at me, over ninety years old, and I still want to come over to help you defend Liaodong and fight against the Huns. Have you ever thought about whether I am tired?"
Chonghou Hu's face showed shame, but it soon turned into suspicion: "Defend Liaodong? Attack the Huns? I have never heard of a war in Liaodong. Teacher, instead of raising an army to investigate the crime, are you going to support Liaodong?"
Seeing that the Grand Master was a little angry, Mo Liqing immediately answered: "This is what the divination of the Great Witch Festival said. The Seven Killing Stars have appeared in Northern Xinjiang, and there may be war in Liaodong. It is precisely because of this that the Grand Master is grateful for the difficulties in Northern Xinjiang. Only then did he take the initiative to ask for orders and bring an army to help."
"It turns out it's the great witch offering divination." Chonghou Hu immediately waved to Mei Wu who was standing by: "Will Uncle Liao Dong send a letter in the near future?"
Mei Wu pondered for a while, and his face suddenly became a little embarrassed: "Regular correspondence has stopped since autumn. If you think about it carefully, Liaodong merchants seem to have missed the autumn fair this year."
"well!"
Chonghou Hu covered his face and felt ashamed. Such a clear signal had been reported a few days ago, and he actually ignored it. This was a huge mistake. Thinking of the tragic situation in Liaodong, Chonghou Hu felt even more tired.
"Teacher, I really don't understand why all the disasters seem to be heading towards my northern border on purpose? Although I am not a good person in my life, I have never done anything to innocent people. Chongguo is also a place with strong soldiers and horses. Why do they always treat me like a weakling?"
In fact, the battles in previous years were not small, but they have never been so tragic as in the past four or five years. The worst thing is that whether it is Yuan Futong, Su Hu, or the Binzhou Rebellion, no matter how they fight, Northern Xinjiang will suffer losses. This is Civil war, not foreign affairs.
In a battle like this, it's normal for you to get weaker as you fight, but it's not normal for you to get stronger as you fight.
Wen Zhong had a sullen face and wanted to scold Chonghou Hu several times, but looking at him with a despairing look, he held back his temper and asked as calmly as possible.
"How many troops does Chongguo still have? Is there still military strength that can be mobilized in Northern Xinjiang?"
Chonghou Hu thought carefully for a moment and replied tiredly: "The Chongguo army has 150,000 soldiers, half of them are soldiers and soldiers. There are still people in northern Xinjiang who are capable of fighting. In the past, there was Liaodong. At present, only Meng Ji, Tantai and other places can still serve."
"Then issue an order and order Meng Ji and Tantai to send out armored soldiers to accompany me to reinforce Liaodong. I hope it's not too late."
"As for you, I will not mobilize Chongguo's troops. You can rest well at home. I warn you, Chonghou Hu, don't give up easily. You are a descendant of the Chong family. You are the lord of Northern Xinjiang. If you even give up, What will happen to the people behind us and the future of Chongguo?"
"Have a good rest. I will ask Ji Li to go back to Jin'ao Island to get elixirs for you and take care of your body. I will also intercede for you from the king's side. Don't think about the three-year agreement anymore. It will be invalidated. , okay?"
Chonghou Hu looked at Wen Zhong indifferently, and couldn't help but chuckle. The teacher was still the same stern teacher, and he hadn't changed at all, but he didn't seem to be the young man who chased the wind.
"I obey the teacher's orders!"
I was very disappointed when I came, and I didn't expect to be even more disappointed when I left. Wen Zhong looked at the sunset at dusk. The twilight was kind. As people get older, they tend to feel sad when they encounter this kind of dim sunset. They always like it in their mind. Some forgotten memories emerge.
It was a crisp autumn season, and Zishou and Chonghu had not yet married. The two young men were sent to his tent and asked to be taught by him.
The first time Wen Zhong saw these two children, he liked them from the bottom of his heart. One was born with great strength and looked like a good military commander at first glance, while the other had some weakness in his character, but he had thick bones and a strong body. , are all good candidates to take the warrior route.
He still remembers the first question he asked the two little dolls.
Who do you want to be in the future?
Zishou said: "I want to be a general who can conquer the south and the north, open up territories for my father, and guard the four directions."
Chong Hu said: "I...I want to farm. I want to grow a kind of food that can grow in the snow. In this way...in this way, our people with the Chong family will no longer have to go hungry."
The kind-hearted teacher straightened his face and corrected them seriously: "Zi Shou, you are the crown prince and the future king of the Great Shang Dynasty. How can you aspire to be a general? You should follow the example of your two ancestors, Pan Geng and Wu Ding. To become the master of ZTE.”
"And you, Chonghou Hu, if you just want to be a farmer, you shouldn't come here to be my student. You should go to Bigan and be his student. Remember, you are Chonghou in Northern Xinjiang. A descendant of the clan, you carry on your shoulders the trust of countless ancestors who died in battles in Northern Xinjiang. You want to be a general, fight in all directions, and wipe out the enemies of the great merchants."
At this moment, Wen Zhong's eyes were a little obsessed, looking at the sunset, as if he was looking through time and falling deeply into the past.
"Grand Master, Grand Master!! Do you want to spend the night in the city tonight?" Mo Liqing reminded the Grand Master in a low voice.
"No, staying in this place for a long time will easily make one's bones start to get rusty. Let's just go and go to Yancheng to rest tonight."
"promise!"
Master Wang came in a hurry and left in a hurry. He never took away any soldiers in Chongcheng, which made countless people in Chongcheng breathe a sigh of relief.
In the Chongchenghou Mansion, Chonghou Hu was sitting in the main hall, sipping wheat tea carefully. The sweet taste reminded him of the two young boys again.
Not long after, it was getting dark. Not long after Master Wang left, a fast horse rushed towards Chongcheng. Before he got close, he heard the knight shouting: "I am Chong Yingbiao, the eldest son of Chongguo. Open the city gate quickly!"
The defenders on the city wall looked at each other and talked about each other, looking a little confused. The eldest son had been attending Chaoge since he was a child, and they could not recognize the appearance of the young man under the city gate. It was not until the guard Fang Zhong came and checked the nameplate that they showed respect. to give it a pass.
Chong Yingbiao didn't care about getting angry and immediately ran all the way to the Hou Mansion in his memory.
After entering the mansion, Chong Yingbiao looked at the old face of his father Hou and didn't pay much attention. He just felt that his father seemed to be aging faster than others.
"Ying Biao? Why are you back? You are doing well in Chaoge. Who asked you to return to Chongcheng?"
Chong Yingbiao burst into tears: "Father, I am your son, the eldest son. Now that the second brother is gone, how long are you going to let me wander? Do you hate me so much?"
Chonghou Hu let out a long sigh, looking at the face in front of him that was 70% similar to Ying Luan's, he looked a little sad and his mood became heavier: "You are my son, how could I hate you? It's just that you shouldn't come back, Chongguo is in turmoil now, and it is the best choice for you to stay in Chaoge."
"This...Father, I'm actually fine in Chaoge. It's just that Ying Biao did something wrong a few days ago and has been unable to gain a foothold in Chaoge, so he ran back in a hurry."
"Wrong thing? What wrong thing did you do?"
"Actually, it's not that big of a deal, but if the kid says it, can you not be angry?"
Chonghou Hu's heart sank, and he had an ominous premonition.
"Tell me, what did you do?"
"Haier...Haier killed Boyikao in Chaoge. I'm afraid it will cause trouble for our Chongguo."
Chong Houhu stared at Chong Yingbiao with his eyes wide open. His vision suddenly went dark, and then a mouthful of blood spurted out. He knocked Chong Yingbiao to the ground with a slap, then he covered his heart and could not speak for a long time.
"Mei Wu! Send this traitor to Xiqi to apologize."
"In addition, help me deliver two letters, one to Mengchang, asking him to leave and return to Northern Xinjiang as soon as possible, and tell him that I am not going to die soon, come back soon!"
"Another letter, sent to the king with great haste, saying that Chonghu may break the appointment, please forgive me."
There is another chapter. My computer broke down last night and I haven’t finished editing it yet. I’ll send it out later today.
(End of chapter)
