The county government office seemed particularly quiet in the early morning. Only a few maids who got up early could be seen in the backyard, holding firewood and carrying bowls and basins, hurriedly looking around. The two of them followed the maid carrying the copper basin for washing to the outside of a house. After the maid went in and closed the door, they heard a female voice inside saying: "Your master hasn't been here all night. I think he slept in the study again. He will start again later." Bring a basin of water and I will bring it to the master myself." The maid agreed softly after hearing this, and the two of them retreated with the sound of washing. Without much trouble, they found the study room. Chen Yuan and Gu Ming leaned against the door and listened for a while, both looking puzzled at each other.
"No breath?" Gu Ming asked in a low voice.
"Yeah." Chen Yuan nodded.
"Not inside?" Gu Ming asked again.
Chen Yuan did not answer, but pointed inward, and the two quickly pushed the door open and rushed into the house. The door just opened and closed, as if it was not blown open by a weak wind, without making any sound.
Wang Yunshan sat in front of the case, his eyes closed, like a sculpture. To outsiders, it seemed that the county master was meditating and in a trance, but Chen Yuan and Gu Ming knew that he had already lost his breath. From outside the door, they could not hear the breath of a living person inside. Chen Yuan walked forward slowly. Wang Yunshan's desk was covered with several pieces of rice paper. The ink was also ground and the pen was licked with ink. He placed it on the inkstone. However, the hair had already dried hard and he looked like he had been exhausted for a long time. . There was a book of poems spread out beside me, and I guess I was about to copy some poems. Chen Yuan tapped Wang Yunshan on the shoulder, and he fell down like a puddle of mud. Chen Yuan gently opened the lapel of the county prince's clothes and said only two words: "The fate is gone."
Gu Ming and Chen Yuan left the backyard of the county government office and walked slowly towards the gambling house on the other side of the city. There were already scattered smoke from cooking stoves and two or three open storefronts on the street.
"What's going on?" Gu Ming asked.
"Ji Tongcheng thought I was hired to kill him, so he named a few names." Chen Yuan said, "The other ones don't matter, they were either occupied by him, or they were working with him elsewhere. We are business enemies.”
"It's all for money." Gu Ming said
"Well, there is only this county magistrate. I don't know why Ji Tongcheng thought that the county magistrate wanted to kill him." Chen Yuan said.
"I know what Ji Tongcheng has done, but I have no scruples. It's hard to deal with it. Or the county magistrate is an accomplice, colluding with officials and businessmen, and wants to kill Ji Tongcheng to silence him." Gu Mingdao.
"I don't know. I originally planned to end Ji Tongcheng's lineage this night, and then slowly sort out his story before the news reaches Wang Yunshan's ears."
"Perhaps the news has reached his ears. When I was sweeping the gambling house, those people were studying the body of the man whose throat you had choked." Gu Ming paused and then said, "I'm afraid he committed suicide out of fear of guilt."
Chen Yuan thought for a moment and said: "It's too early." Then he added: "Even if he is in the same den of snakes and rats in Ji Tongcheng, doing these harmful things. If he wants to commit suicide in fear of crime, he will have to wait until he knows that he has probably been jailed. It's true. Now he only knows that Ji Tongcheng's men were killed. He doesn't know what happened to Ji Tongcheng himself, and he didn't even send anyone out to ask."
"And he also died from the same poison as Ji Tongcheng and others." Gu Ming said, full of doubts: "Could this poison be in Yincheng's own hand?"
"The demon monk Mieduo returned to Wuxiangtian and was seriously injured that year. He was chased all the way. He could not escape from all over the Western Region, so he had to hide in this Yincheng. Although Yincheng belongs to Nanqi, the county magistrate is also our imperial official. But in fact, the Western Region and Nanqi neither fight nor care about each other. The demon monk healed his wounds and practiced in this city for four years, and then returned to the Western Region and took over Wuxiangtian. It is not surprising that there is a poison made by him in this city, there may be more Where is his inheritance?" Chen Yuan said.
"This is our land, why don't we care?" Gu Ming asked.
"Yincheng was ceded to the Western Region by my soft-hearted Emperor Ran Li of Nanqi. Back then, he lost the battle at Liushapo and ceded the six counties of Tianlang." Chen Yuan said.
"Six Sirius Counties?" Gu Ming asked.
"Xiao Ming, back then I said I would take you down the mountain to explore, but my uncle disagreed. Look, it's just that you don't have the hatred of the country and the family. You don't even know the history of this dynasty." Chen Yuan said.
"Dad said that we are beyond the change of kingship, and the change of dynasty has nothing to do with us." Gu Ming scratched his head in embarrassment.
"In a family, it doesn't matter who is the eldest or the second eldest." Chen Yuan paused and said seriously: "But if an outsider comes over and wants to take charge of the family and change your ancestral tablets, then you can't detach yourself. You have to save him."
"That's natural!" Gu Ming also said seriously.
Chen Yuan smiled and continued: "It is said that it is the six counties of Tianlang, but it is actually six cities. The border between our south and the west region is a bow, and the six counties are just on the arms of this bow. The northernmost is Qinggang. The southernmost part of the city is Guyan Town. This Yincheng is the smallest and is also in the middle. If you place an arrow on this bow, it will be set on this Yincheng. Therefore, these six counties of Tianlang are important border defense areas. From this six counties, you can look northwest and shoot at the wolf."
"Such an important city was cut off?" Gu Ming asked.
"In the battle at Liushapo, the prince personally fought, lost and was captured. Emperor Ran Li made an alliance with the Western Regions and exchanged the six counties of Tianlang for the prince." Chen Yuan said, "The prince defeated an army of 300,000 people. After returning to the capital, Because of this incident, he was suppressed by the second prince and lost his foundation. Not long after, Ran Li also deposed the prince and passed the throne to the second prince. The second prince is the current emperor Ran Xiong and the second uncle of the current emperor."
"Why is it the second uncle? The second prince did not pass the throne to his own heir?" Gu Ming was puzzled.
"Ran Xiong only has one son and one daughter, and his only son is the current King of Dingxi, Ran Zheng." Chen Yuan said, "Ran Xiong is indeed a civilized and military strategist. After taking the throne, he took less than five years of rest and recuperation and led 200,000 soldiers. The imperial commander personally led the expedition, and his son Ran Zheng was also brave and good at fighting, truly a talented general. In just one year, the father and son defeated the people of the Western Regions from the six counties of Tianlang."
"That's how it should be! I won't give up an inch of my mountains and rivers." Gu Ming also said with enthusiasm.
"But the location of the six Tianlang counties is really special. If you have a map, you will feel at a glance that these six counties should have been returned to the Western Region." Chen Yuan said.
"Why?" Gu Ming was confused.
"How did you and Dai Er get here?" Chen Yuan asked.
"The two of us went down the mountain to travel around the rivers and lakes. A few days later, the man said that he would go to Beihu first to see the exotic customs. After traveling in Beihu for a few days, we went all the way west to the Western Regions. He also said that the Western Regions were not interesting. It seemed that People have to stay where they are, so the two of us returned to the Central Plains from the Western Regions and ended up here." Gu Ming said.
"That's it, you haven't passed through that desert." Chen Yuan said.
"What desert?" Gu Ming asked.
"Look at the green hills outside the city, and the lush water and grass. But just go east for more than two hundred miles, and the color changes. Between the six counties of Tianlang and the hinterland of our Central Plains, there is a large desert. How big is it? Qinggang City at the top and Guyan Town at the bottom of the bow arm are connected with a bow string, and then the bow is drawn half full, and it is so big. It is all sand, as if all the sand in the world is here. ." Chen Yuan said.
"Is this so?" Gu Ming was surprised and said: "Then it will not be easy for us to conquer the Six Heavenly Wolf Counties."
"It's not easy. Every time the army crosses the desert, it will lose one out of ten." Chen Yuan sighed, "And the enemies in the Western Region will not give you a chance to recuperate. They usually wait on the edge of the desert a few days in advance. , our army has just come out of the desert, and we immediately have to fight a tough battle. On one side are elite soldiers and generals who are waiting for work, and on the other side are exhausted troops who have traveled far away, so every battle is very tragic. "
"If you can win like this, I am indeed a good boy from Nan Qi!" Gu Ming became even more excited.
"Winning, but also losing." Chen Yuan said again.
"Brother, what do you mean by this?" Gu Ming asked in confusion.
"Do you know how the prince's 300,000-strong army was defeated back then?" Chen Yuan asked again. Seeing that Gu Ming was silent, he added: "Back then, when the Western Region invaded the border, the prince did not know which counselor's plan he listened to and sent Sirius Fifty thousand border guards from each of the six counties were all gathered in one place. They wanted to unite their troops in one place, eliminate future troubles forever, and create peace for all eternity. At first, they repelled the invasion of the Western Regions, but the prince was greedy for success and rushed forward, intending to take advantage of the victory to pursue and pacify the Western Regions. If you succeed, your position will be unshakable from now on, and you will be remembered in history. He is the emperor who opened up new territories and expanded his territory through the ages." Chen Yuan sighed after finishing speaking.
Gu Ming also sighed and heard Chen Yuan murmuring like a dream: "Three hundred thousand soldiers went deep into the Western Region and never came back. They disappeared along with the prince's ambition and fantasy."
"The whole army was wiped out? No one came back?" Gu Ming's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Not to mention living people, not even a single corpse was returned from the capital. It's just that a year later, Ran Li exchanged the Six Heavenly Wolf Counties for the crown prince." Chen Yuan said.
"The prince didn't say how this battle was fought?" Gu Ming asked.
"It is said that the prince has been abnormal since he came back. He is no different from ordinary people. Whenever he is asked about it, he keeps saying, 'It's gone, it's all gone. When I look back, it's all gone.', and then he goes crazy. Yelling. After a while, no one dared to ask." Chen Yuan said.
"Hey! If we hadn't used troops like that, we wouldn't have ended up like this!" Gu Ming said regretfully on behalf of the prince.
"Yes, so I said that the second prince later won and lost." Chen Yuan nodded and glanced at Gu Ming, then said: "Back then, there were 300,000 border guards, divided into six divisions, with 50,000 in each county. Five No more, no less, if there is an attack, it can be enough to support the neighboring cities. Each city not only needs to be defeated, but also needs to be defended. Back then, the father and son defeated six cities, but they can be used as a By the time we reached the sixth tower, the first five towers had been occupied by people from the Western Regions. Counting the losses in the desert and the battle just out of the desert, 20% of the 200,000-strong army had been lost. They didn't dare to allocate more troops to defend the city. If they were too few, they couldn't defend the city. If they were too many, how could they conquer one city and then the next? So the father and son took one city with their front foot and were about to attack again. When the city was captured, the city that had just been captured was occupied by the Western Regions."
"The monsters from the Western Regions are really plotting frequently! If this continues, they will kill us!" Gu Ming had already begun to grind his teeth.
"Ran Xiong also saw the final outcome. If we want to break this desperate situation, we need another 150,000 troops. But we only lost 300,000 a few years ago, and now we have brought out another 200,000. No matter how large the population of Nanqi is, There is no way to gather a fighting force of 150,000 in a short period of time." Chen Yuan sighed.
"Then how did we regain the six Tianlang counties?" Gu Ming asked.
"This is the solitary courage of Ran Zheng, the king of Dingxi." Chen Yuan said, "He told his father that he would just go back and sharpen his troops, while the child would sacrifice his life for a year here. , kill him ten more times! The population of the Western Region is less than half of our dynasty, and if I exchange one life for one, he will have no descendants! When my father comes with troops to help in a year, if he can keep the rules, but if he can't, I will kill him ten more times. Back and forth! I finished exchanging the last drop of blood for his last child in the Western Region! When he talked about the blood surge, he actually called me "I" in front of his father, and Ran Xiong didn't blame him." After Chen Yuan finished speaking, his blood surged, and his eyes were exposed. Jingmang.
"Hero! What a hero!" Gu Ming jumped up and praised, with no way to release his passion. He drew a single sword from behind and split a big hole in the road.
"But Ran Xiong is the emperor after all. Unlike Ran Zheng, who is so lonely and courageous, he refused without thinking. But Ran Zheng's strength has already risen, and the soldiers are also ignited. Ran Zheng snatches the emperor's pendant Sword, ordered the soldiers to come out: "All those who are slightly injured come out! Send His Majesty back to the capital! The rest, follow me to die! Let's go!" So His Majesty Ran Xiong left a small team of less than a thousand people, and led him crazy Ordinary soldiers would kill them with loud shouts of death, shaking the world," Chen Yuan said.
"Our hero is so brave, he is not afraid of your Majesty's punishment." Gu Ming said.
"At that time, His Majesty's orders were no longer in the army, and only Ran Zheng's orders were obeyed. Ran Zheng also told Ran Xiong that he had no intention of turning back, and he could kill or behead him in the future, but he must not swallow this bird's breath today. . The emperor was helpless. After this, he did not return to the capital. He followed his son and killed him again, killing more than 20,000 people. Ran Zheng was not sad but happy, saying that he did not expect that he could be killed again and again. "Three times." Chen Yuan smiled and said, "I'm about to kill him for the third time. The envoy from the Western Regions is here."
"Messenger? What are you here for?" Gu Ming asked.
"Please make peace," Chen Yuan said.
"Please make peace?" Gu Ming asked in surprise.
Chen Yuan nodded and said with a smile: "Yes, I don't know if the Western Regions were frightened by such a killing method, or if Ran Zheng's heroic words reached the ears of the Western Regions royal court and were frightened, in short, they came to ask for peace. "
Gu Ming also smiled and said: "Isn't it true that this country is just like people? The tough ones are afraid of the violent ones, the violent ones are afraid of those who are desperate for their lives, and the desperate ones are afraid of those who want to die."
Chen Yuan laughed out loud at what Gu Ming said, and then continued: "So the current situation has emerged. The Western Region has officially returned the six counties of Tianlang, promising not to invade again, and Nanqi cannot station troops in the city. Tianlang The six counties serve as free cities for both countries. People from both countries can come here to do business and live here, but they are all under the jurisdiction of Nanqi. Nanqi can send officials and a certain number of soldiers to protect the people."
"That's good. At least there won't be any more bloodshed and both sides will suffer. It's just that there are foreigners in the city, and there are also foreigners in the capital." Gu Mingdao.
"So this has become the freest place, the most chaotic place, and the most sinful place." Chen Yuan said.
"It's already pretty good. At least the people have a way to survive. Slowly figure it out, and sooner or later you will have full control." Gu Mingdao
"Yes, no matter how hostile the two countries are, there is no hatred between ordinary kind-hearted people." Chen Yuan said, "That's it, our King Dingxi is not ready to agree! He threatened to kill him until there is only one left. Bing Yizheng. Ran Xiong clamped his head, covered his mouth and slapped him, and then went to meet the envoy." After Chen Yuan finished speaking, he laughed out loud.
Gu Ming also smiled: "I didn't expect that King Dingxi was so passionate that he managed to frighten the royal court of the Western Regions, solved the problem, and achieved great success."
"Yes, and because of this incident, he lost his fate with the throne." Chen Yuan said again.
"Why? Even if King Dingxi disobeyed the Holy Will, the result was good." Gu Ming asked.
"Yes, the emperor went on a personal expedition with 200,000 soldiers. He returned to the court in just one year, with less than 40% killed in battle, and recovered the six counties of Tianlang. This achievement was praised by everyone from the princes to the common people." Chen Yuan said.
"Yes! As for the first achievement, it is Dingxi King Ran Zheng." Gu Ming said.
"The emperor did not deny Ran Zheng's contribution, and even generously rewarded him. But he also said it himself. After this battle, it is not difficult to see that Ran Zheng did not have the virtue to be an emperor, but only the ability to be a general. Then he granted the land to Linze Prefecture and named it Dingxi The king led an army of 100,000 and guarded Linze. Later, he voluntarily gave up the throne to the child of the crown prince whom he had taken away from him, saying that the throne should have been his, and he was the current emperor - Ran Qin."
"Then it seems that Ran Xiong really has no selfish motives and only cares about the country and the country." Gu Mingdao.
"All civil and military officials and people all over the world say so." Chen Yuan said.
