Just before King Liu Kai fell to the ground, Zhang Yi jumped off the horse as fast as lightning and reached out to hug him. He looked pale and his breath was disordered.
Xiao Liu cried "Wow", the soldiers were frightened, and their troops were shaken.
"Calm down!"
Zhang Yi shouted, and the brothers passed on the words, and then the people and horses became quiet.
The people from Little China have just left, and the thousands of troops are noisy and restless. They might find out. If they attack back, they will be passive.
Because at this moment the military morale is in chaos.
Zhang Yi hugged his father and ran all the way. They entered the mountain pass and came to a grassland. Liu Zhu, the commander of the Royal Forest Army, took off his shirt and spread it on the ground. Zhang Yi asked his father to lie flat on the ground.
The imperial doctor was well prepared. He opened the medicine box, took out a silver needle and inserted it into the life-saving acupuncture point.
"Stay further away."
Zhang Yi asked the running generals to retreat more than ten meters away to avoid obstructing the air circulation.
The only three people left beside the king are the imperial physician, Zhang Yi and Xiao Liu.
The imperial doctor muttered a few words of blame. The doctor only cared about the patient. How could he know that in order to resolve this crisis, the king mustered up his energy and persuaded the 80,000-strong army to retreat with just one word.
Zhang Yi knew very well that now was not the time to start a war with Little China. He could not reveal the news that King Liu Kai was critically ill, otherwise Little China would inevitably launch a full-scale attack.
After receiving treatment with silver needles and taking Jiuxin Pills, the king was brought back from the brink of death.
Zhang Yi and Xiao Liu helped their father sit up.
With a desolate look on his face, he looked at his daughter lovingly, and tears fell down his face.
In Xiaoliu's memory, his father only shed tears when his mother died of illness, and his father's behavior now was the same as then.
Maybe he was really tired and wanted to die long ago, but he just missed his daughter in his heart.
Zhang Yi burst into tears. He understood his father's mood. What a strong hero he was. He relied on his will to support himself. Even at the last moment, he pretended to negotiate with the enemy as if nothing had happened and paid his last effort for the country and the family.
Xiaoliu threw herself in her father's arms and cried bitterly. The night was dark, the mountain wind was howling, and thousands of troops stood silently on the spot. Everyone was filled with grief.
"It's cold and cold here, it's better to take father back to Chang'an as soon as possible." Xiaolong said softly.
Wang Zheng ran to the carriage, fetched the blanket and handed it into Zhang Yi's hand.
Zhang Yi wrapped a blanket around his father, picked him up, and carried him to the camp bed in the carriage. Xiao Liu kept holding his father's hand and knelt down beside him after getting into the carriage.
The army marched in silence and returned to Chang'an.
…
Father fell asleep.
Zhang Yi felt sad, hugged Xiaoliu and comforted her silently.
Xiao Liu nestled in his arms and stared blankly at the night sky outside the window. Fortunately, Zhang Yi was by her side, otherwise, she really didn't know if she could survive it.
At around three o'clock in the morning, the army arrived at Chang'an City. Zhang Yi ordered his troops to camp outside the city, and only led the generals, imperial guards and Mopan City warriors to the palace.
That night, everyone slept in their clothes.
The next morning, the king woke up and asked Zhang Yi to summon the generals to receive him in his palace. Dozens of people knelt on the ground and listened to the holy teachings.
"Since I raised my army, I have fought more than a hundred battles and marched thousands of miles. I often lie on the saddle at night, and I have never fallen once. It can be seen that God has told me that my military career is over."
These words are very sad to hear.
"Father, don't worry. Yesterday I was just overtired. When I recover, I will be able to gallop." Zhang Yi comforted him.
"What Yi'er said is absolutely true, hahaha," King Liu Kai said with a smile, "It's just that I'm afraid I'll have to recuperate for a long time this time, as the military and state affairs are urgent. From today on, I have to rest quietly and recuperate, and no longer ask about military and state matters, big or small, etc. , you generals and officers will all listen to Zhang Shoufu’s decision as if they were listening to my orders.”
"I obey the order." All the generals knelt down and accepted the order.
In fact, under the instruction of the king, all the generals have already sworn allegiance to Zhang Yi, and today they issued another decree. The king's intention could not be clearer. The supreme power of the Kingdom of China will be completely transferred to Zhang Yi's hands.
This is equivalent to a will.
Dozens of generals command the most elite army in the kingdom. Only with the support of the army can power be stabilized, which is more important than the throne and the jade seal.
King Liu Kai glanced at every general present. These generals were promoted and cultivated by him. He was very pleased to see that they were loyal and had no objection to Zhang Yi's leadership.
The fact is that Zhang Yi defeated Liu Guang in a one-on-one duel in front of the formation, and there is no doubt about his force. Yesterday, he led the army in battle for the first time. He showed calmness and calmness, commanded quickly and accurately, and deployed one step ahead of the enemy, completely winning the trust and respect of the generals.
The king had excellent vision and chose the best successor. Zhang Yi was generous to others and had a reputation of benevolence and righteousness. From then on, he sincerely regarded him as his new master.
King Liu Kai encouraged the generals again and then ordered everyone to retreat.
In the palace, Xiao Liu, Zhang Yi, Xiao Long, Xiao Han, Niu Ben, Shi Gandang and Wang Zheng were left behind.
This is the core of Zhang Yi's leadership. They have established a family-like friendship, and King Liu Kai no longer treats them as outsiders.
"Father, it's okay, don't think about anything from now on, just calm down and rest." Seeing that her father looked better, Xiao Liu sighed with a smile on her face, "Yesterday, you scared me. "
Alas, Xiaoliu is young after all. Zhang Yi sighed secretly. His condition had reached this point and it was difficult to recover. His heart was in a mess and he was filled with sadness.
The king smiled and comforted his daughter for a few words, and then brought up the matter of military affairs.
From what Zhang Yi and others heard, this was a face-to-face meeting, and it must be the last time.
"Little China will not withdraw its troops happily. Yi'er, you send a team of troops to supervise their withdrawal from Shangluo and Ankang until they return to Zhuxi." King Liu Kai said.
"The general is familiar with the situation and is willing to lead the troops to carry out the mission." General Wang Zheng took the initiative to request the order.
"Okay, then General Wang will lead ten lieutenants and 20,000 horses to go south. First, he will urge Little China to retreat, and second, he will divide his troops to recover the rebellious cities in the south." Zhang Yi arranged.
"I will obey the order." General Wang Zheng took the order.
King Liu Kai nodded with satisfaction and continued to preach.
"The ancients said that we should make friends far away and attack close by, but my idea is to unite with Little China to attack Greater China. Among the three countries, Little China has the lowest military strength, and Greater China poses the greatest threat. After defeating Greater China, we can attack from the east, west, and north, and we can successfully win the war. Down to Little China.”
Zhang Yi nodded repeatedly. After fighting against the two countries, he could feel that the soldiers of Greater China were more tenacious in fighting and were a formidable enemy, while Little China was relatively easier to deal with.
"Compared to the Chinese Civil War, foreign invasion is the biggest threat," King Liu Kai said with concern. "For many years, the northern nomadic tribes have involved a lot of my energy, leaving me no time to deal with General Cao. Who knew the rise of the Tsarist Empire , the nomadic tribes are under control. If the crisis in the north is not resolved, the War of the Three Kingdoms will be postponed."
"Father, can we unite the two countries to fight against the Tsarist Empire?" Xiaoliu asked.