"We will fight the Xiliang army of 300,000 to count as 200,000." Zhang Yao spread out the map and pointed at the clear boundary of the Yellow River on the sheepskin map.
"Except for the meteorite falling from the sky and killing Dong Yan, I really think it's hard to say whether this battle will be won or lost."
Wei Cheng rejected the proposal to lure the barbarians into the Guanhe Army. To this day, it is still like a small thorn in Zhang Yao's heart, scratching it from time to time, causing discomfort.
Twenty-four lotus lanterns with branches and stems were burning brightly, making the faces of several people shine brightly.
All sorts of thoughts pop up on his face.
Wei Ning glanced at him, and Zhang Yao leaned back indifferently, looking on with a cold eye.
He frowned, but seeing that Wei Cheng was silent, he didn't say anything.
"The old man in Bingzhou couldn't stand up, and he claimed that he was too old to give up his throne to Feng Kui. Feng Kui seemed to be watching from the other side, so it would be better to find a way to bring him in and muddy the water." Wei Ning said.
"What we are looking at now is who can keep his composure. Feng Kui will naturally go to him to settle the accounts, but not now." Zhang Yao reminded: "No one of us can be sure how many jins or taels the opponent has, otherwise they will not send scouts. It's a good deal to cross the river secretly to find out information, and three pawns will be killed in exchange for reliable information."
"The Xiliang army may not have 300,000 soldiers." Wei Cheng clicked on the table and turned the gold-cut jade dagger in his hand. The handle of the knife drew a circle in the hinterland south of the Yellow River.
"Five years ago, it could still be said that there were 300,000 Xiliang elites, but the Dong Yan of today is no longer the same person as the Dong Yan of the past. The Dong Yan of the past used his sword to fight in the east and west, but now he is nothing more than For a powerful minister who has been immersed in the comfort of Chang'an for many years, there was a locust plague in Liangzhou last year, a severe drought in Liangzhou the year before last, and the 300,000 Xiliang cavalry may not be bluffing."
Zhang Yao raised his eyes and watched him stand up: "Although I also guessed the same, I still took the risk."
“Whether it’s risky or not, you’ll know after you give it a try.”
He put the dagger in his hand back into its sheath. The hibiscus stone at his fingertips, the size of a coin, had begun to take shape. It was a double-petaled rose.
"Those three scouts, keep one and put it back. They are no better than us. We eat all the way. The food in Jinyang and Taiyuan is enough for us for several months. But Dong Yan can't do it. Half of Chang'an's food is It is due to the annual tribute paid by the Sifang Prefecture Shepherd. He has lost the support of the people and is no different from the Wolf King who has lost power."
"From today on, the fires in each camp will be reduced by half. The troops in Youzhou and Jizhou will be reorganized and reunited. One hundred thousand elites will continue to be stationed here. The other one hundred thousand will be divided into two groups and ambush three miles east and west. Follow orders."
This means fighting to the death.
Zhang Yao looked at the thing in his hand, and a little crystal powder flashed by. He thought of something: "Actually, why bother? There are tens of thousands of people left behind in my Jizhou, and there should be quite a few in Youzhou, so why not send the letter back?" , dispatching troops to support, no matter how many people there are, don’t worry about him, it’s just like temporarily abandoning Daijun and Fanyang and other places, but it’s not impossible to regain them after taking control of Chang’an.”
Politicians and generals must be flexible.
Wei Cheng turned his head and looked at him, saying word by word: "No."
"You cannot lose an inch of land in Youzhou, not even for a moment." He leaned forward and stared at him with black eyes: "No matter how incompetent a man is, he must keep two things, the land under his feet and the woman in his arms."
Chen Zhao's expression changed and he looked over involuntarily.
Zhang Yao smiled.
——
Recently, some unpleasant news has spread throughout Youzhou.
Dong Yan sent 300,000 troops northward, and the news that Youzhou and Jizhou were about to lose seemed to come out of nowhere, making all the female relatives panic.
At the entrance of Xiyuan, there was an endless stream of luxury cars, and Yin Xiao himself was a little confused.
Three hundred thousand versus two hundred thousand, is that true?
No matter how you listen to it, it’s scary.
It is said that there are noses and eyes, and it is also said that someone climbed up at night and saw the stove fires and cooking smoke burning on both sides of the Yellow River. The difference between the north bank and the south bank was half that, which made people's scalp numb.
Lin Yunyi held her daughter in her arms. Although she didn't say anything, her eyes looked gloomy.
There were more than a dozen ladies sitting in the hall, and everyone started talking to each other. At the end of the story, some of them secretly wiped away tears and suggested that they prepare to pack their things and go back to their hometown.
"Soldiers are crafty." Yin Xiao took a sip of tea calmly. "If one could tell the outcome at a glance from a distance, there would be no need for a strategist."
"Yes." Lin Yunyi nodded. The daughter in her arms was cute and well-behaved, and her big grape-like eyes looked at her aunts.
It's almost May now, and the cicadas are chirping outside the window.
I am so busy thinking about random things.
She wasn't too worried. Probably every time Wei Cheng wrote a letter, he never mentioned any news about the poor war situation. The tone of the letter was always relaxed, making people feel relaxed after reading it. Since that day she took the initiative After writing the letter, Wei Cheng's letters returned to the frequency of one every three days, sometimes even one every one or two days. Even though she still replied intermittently, there was no interruption.
I received a letter a few days ago. The letter mentioned that before he left, he had already ordered a dress and wedding utensils for someone to prepare for getting married as soon as possible when he returned, and that he could not leave the child without a name or identity.
She was stunned for a moment. He was talking about return, but he did not promise a triumphant victory. If he lost this battle, could he come back?
wedding ceremony.
If there is anything she wants most right now, it may be that knowing her life experience can make her clearer, and then she can give birth to the child in her belly properly.
Let’s talk about other things later.
"Yesterday the general also wrote a letter, telling me not to listen to rumors, be instigated by traitors, and disturb the people's hearts." She touched her bulging belly and frowned.
"But we must not start the chaos ourselves."
Everyone in the hall looked stern and understood, but no one said anything else.
I invited them here today because I wanted to find something for them to do, and also to find something for herself to do.
After all, those soldiers risked their lives for them, and she wanted to do her part.
Remembering the smell of sweat and sourness that hit her face when she helped Wei Cheng remove his armor, she decided to pool money with a group of female relatives to send a batch of breathable and light underwear to the soldiers, and then wear winter underwear. The weather in May is getting hotter and hotter, and I am afraid that I will get prickly heat.
Naturally, she wanted to set an example. She had the accounting room in the mansion at her disposal, and she casually took out ninety gold.
Lin Yunyi offered 40 gold, Lanxi offered 60 gold, and the other ladies, the wife of the local marquis, the general's wife, etc. all responded.
She used the considerable sum of money she raised to rent a house in the city, selected several carts of cotton and silk, and hired about a hundred embroiderers to work day and night.
She was not at ease, so she kept an eye on the workmanship and cutting of each batch carefully, trying to complete it before July.
The ones that are done first will be packed first and good luck will come.
Lin Yunyi and others originally thought that she was just showing off, but they didn't expect that she would take care of everything in detail, and it was all for her husband and her husband's robe, so they all became serious. Some ladies, such as Lin Yunyi, simply came here every day. Follow the embroiderer and try to do it faster so that your husband can wear the clothes you made as soon as possible.
Many women in the city heard the news and came forward, and they all volunteered to contribute to Youzhou.
The originally inconspicuous courtyard gradually became overcrowded, and the sound of looms and cutting could be heard constantly.
Wei Zheng was returning home for the day, and for some reason, he took a detour and took a look.
The woman with a big belly turned to the sky, wearing armbands, exposing her smooth forearms. She lowered her head and looked at the ready-made clothes in her hands with the woman beside her. Her white fingertips tapped on the clothes, as if she was giving some advice.
The woman who listened nodded, wrote it down, and turned back to revise it.
Other ladies came over to ask her for instructions. The pregnant woman listened to her words and directed the others to come and help.
He looked enthusiastic and orderly.
His face is also different from before.
In the past, beauty was beautiful, but it was too static, like water lilies in paintings, imprisoned in gorgeous decorations, always lacking some vitality.
Now it suddenly became alive. Although there was no laughter on the plain face, one could clearly feel the joy and fulfillment of vitality.
Wei Zheng laughed, and he did it well.
She really looks like Mrs. Wei.
She doesn't know if it's because she's been with Wei Cheng for so long, or if it's just how she should be.
Yin Xiao had just finished talking to Lin Yunyi beside him, and turned around to see the man standing on the street. He was stunned, grinned, waved, and walked out with a big belly.
"Why is the eldest son here?"
