In the evening, the remnants of Sun Liang's troops were defeated and returned to Shangyong. They left with fifty chariots, but when they returned there were only about twenty chariots and more than eighty chariots left, suffering heavy losses.
The Chu army marched southward in large numbers, engaging in a field battle outside Shangyong City and an siege at Yutou City. The combined losses in the two battles were less than half of what they had this time. In particular, the life and death of the partial general Sun Liang is still unknown, and he will probably not be spared. This makes Zhaoyuan very angry.
The general Pi who had escaped was summoned for questioning, and he bit him to death: "He is a great shaman from the Baiyue Barbarians, or at least a spirit shaman. He is riding a giant dragon. The giant dragon stands on the ground as high as a mountain. When he opens his mouth, he spits out fire dragons." , I don’t know how many barbarians under my command, they set up an ambush in the middle road, dug trenches, hid soldiers in the tunnels, and pulled dozens of snagging ropes..."
There was a burst of foaming at the mouth, and the Chu generals in the palace looked at each other in confusion, until Zhaoyuan couldn't help it anymore and scolded: "Don't talk nonsense, there is a giant dragon standing as high as a mountain, it's ridiculous!"
The general knew that he was exaggerating, so he blushed and said, "The general is talking about hills, the smaller ones..."
Although it is a bit exaggerated, the general situation is still clear. Zhaoyuan summoned Yongzang and Yi Pu, the surrendered ministers of Yongguo, to testify. Yipu only said that he did not know, but Yongzang poured beans out of a bamboo tube and honestly explained: "Southern There is Mangdang Mountain, an enclave of Yongguo, which has good relations with various barbarian tribes. Among them, the three chief leaders of Lianshan, Cangwu, and Nuoxi all have the ability to transform into shamans. The shamans that Dao Nan Snake transforms into are giant pythons and phoenix flying dragons. It's a dragon, but not as big as a hill, only two feet long and as thick as an arm, while Ah Nuo is a poisonous bee."
General Jing Huan, who was shot, said: "In this case, it should be the giant python of Dao Nan Snake."
Cui Mingdao: "I have been a Zuolang of Yangzhou for several years, and I have heard about these three people. They are all in the realm of gods and witches."
Zhaoyuan shook his head: "Even if they are ambushed in a hurry, these three wizards alone cannot kill Sun Liang... Yongzang, whose fiefdom is Mangdang Mountain?"
Yongzang said: "This is the place where guest ministers apply for Wu."
Jing Huan immediately said: "So it's him? Two years ago, on the battlefield at Zhou Lai, Shen Wu and Yuan Zi let the troops go into battle. They were under the command of Shen Douke at the time. When the two armies marched together, their bravery was extraordinary. Even Wu Guofu Gai praised him. Don’t stop talking.”
Zhaoyuan said: "This is a plan for alienation between the Wu people, so there is no need to say more." He also said thoughtfully: "Being under Shen Douke... is quite interesting..."
Cui Ming said hurriedly: "I am also familiar with Mangdang Mountain. Shen Wu was originally an alchemist. Because of the Mao Gong Ling Dan incident, he had an enmity with Shen Douke. Before the army came from the state, Shen Douke deliberately planned to kill him. In the end, the allied forces of Yong, Kui, and Lu were forced to rebel, and then Lu Mingze and Dazhu rebelled."
Zhaoyuan listened very carefully: "Go on."
Cui Ming added: "But Shen Wu is a person who focuses on spiritual practice and is not greedy for power. Last year, he took the initiative to divide the Mangdang Mountain fiefdom into two and gave it to his friends, but he drifted away. It has been half a year now. , I don’t know where I ended up.”
Zhaoyuan asked: "Retired?"
Cui Ming lowered his head: "I don't know, but Mangdang Mountain is no longer the same place. This is a fact."
Zhaoyuan praised: "Cui Zuolang is familiar with the affairs of the Four Kingdoms and Baiyue. He is worthy of being a son of the Cui family. He is really attentive."
Cui Mingdao: "This is my duty."
Zhaoyuan said: "Everyone, I want to go south to attack Mangdang Mountain. What are the best strategies?"
Yong Zang said: "Zhao Commander, there is no need to worry. From Shangyong to the south to Mangdang Mountain, there is a road of 200 miles, which can be used by carriages and horses. If the army goes south, it will arrive in three days!"
General Zhao Boya got on the car and asked for orders: "General, I am willing to lead the front army south to capture Mangdang Mountain for the doctor!"
Rice dumplings
Cui Ming said loudly: "No! Although there is a straight road from Shangyong to Mangdang Mountain, it is winding and steep. There are high cliffs and deep ravines beside the road. There are many miasma and poisonous insects along the way, and it goes deep into the barbarian territory. It is extremely dangerous!"
Jing Huan asked: "What does Cui Zuolang mean?"
Cui Mingdao said: "The people who control Mangdang Mountain now are the officials Lu Fang and Jin Youxiang. They are both loyal people, but their loyalty does not lie in Qingyu. Lu Fang's loyalty lies in Shenwu, and Jin Youxiang's loyalty lies in Shenwu. The doctor only needs to give me an edict to make Shen Wu a doctor, and I will surely convince him to surrender and defeat Mangdang without a fight!"
Zhaoyuan pondered for a moment and said, "Let me think about it."
After discussing the matter, Zhaoyuan returned to his dormitory, which was originally Qingyu's palace. After Qingyu surrendered, Zhaoyuan feared a long night and had many dreams, so he did not stay for a moment and escorted Qingyu and most of the Yongguo officials to Yingdu, and this place became the capital of Ying. into his sleeping quarters.
Zhaoyuan was still deciding whether to continue fighting or send a message to persuade him to surrender. Of course, continuing to fight is a once and for all move, but the difficulties mentioned in Cui Ming's advice did make him hesitate.
There are also clear pros and cons to persuading surrender. The advantage is that it does not cost a single soldier - of course, the prerequisite is that it can be persuaded. The disadvantage is that hidden dangers still remain. Deep in the Mangdang Mountains, the tribes of Baiyue surrendered in name, but were not truly surrendered. They kept these remnants of mediocrity. If they had conflicts with the Chu State in the future and disobeyed the king's orders, they could rely on the Baiyue barbarians to go north to harass the Chu State at any time. .
While he was thinking about it, a visitor suddenly reported that he was someone from the Academy who wanted to see Zhaoyuan.
Zhaoyuan was a little surprised. He heard that Shen Zhuliang of Yingdu Academy had died. Could it be that the new one was walking? Or maybe walking in Yangzhou?
Immediately ordered: "Prepare a banquet!"
But a whisper came from my ears: "Don't disturb me, just have a confidential conversation."
Zhaoyuan's cultivation has been deepening day by day, and he is now at the peak of senior god refining. He is only half a step away from breaking through the realm of refining the void. Otherwise, he would not be able to serve as the coach and lead the army alone. He once advised Ling Yin Quwan, was an active promoter of Chu's expansion strategy, and was deeply trusted by the King of Chu. This trip south was also a test for him by the King of Chu. Everyone in Ying knew that if he got the chance to break through, he would be Nangwa's successor and the next Ling Yin.
With his level of cultivation, this sound was like a whisper in his ear. He knew that the other person was right outside the door, but he couldn't feel where the sound came from at all. It was really a miraculous skill.
Zhaoyuan hurried to the door and bowed to greet him: "Zhaoyuan respectfully welcomes the monks of the academy. I wonder which monk is here?"
An ordinary swordsman walked into the dormitory, dressed in gray linen, wearing deerskin boots, and carrying a scabbard made of straw behind his back. He was as simple as asking for information in a roadside wine shop and preparing to invest in someone. A swordsman under the doctor's command.
A lot of swordsmen like this can be found at Zhaoyuan’s doorstep anytime, anywhere!
But Zhaoyuan became more and more respectful: "But in front of Jian Zong?"
The swordsman sighed: "The art of swordsmanship is profound and profound, how dare you call yourself an ancestor?"
Sword sect usually refers to a practicing sect based on swordsmanship, but there are also special cases, such as referring to a single person. There is only one person in the world who is called the Sword Sect, and he is not talking about the sect, but the master——
This person is Yu Xi, one of the eighteen followers of Jixia Academy.
Zhaoyuan immediately bent down and extended his hand to invite: "I respectfully invite Yu Fengxing to take a seat!"
Yu Xi said: "Yu came here to investigate the case. Baiyue is vast, and Yu is alone. I want to ask Dr. Zhao for help."
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