Looking at the hillside stained red with the blood of his brothers, Pei Changcai couldn't help but murmur in his heart. "Will this old stone trick me? He originally said that Zhang Xutuo fell into Guo Fangyu's plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain and ran to Zi.
The water's edge is up! Why is Zhang Xutuo rushing back now, with four murderous demons under his command?!"
Originally, he was not willing to chew on this bone of Qijun. Zhang Xutuo's reputation was great, and it was said that none of the heroes who had offended this man had a good death. But he couldn't bear the temptation of Shizihe. The stone
He is a man with great ambitions. He believes that looking at the counties in Henan, there are about a hundred small and large villages. If they continue to fight on their own as they are now, no one can make a difference. In the past two years, the imperial court has been busy fighting against the Goguryeo people, and there has been no progress.
Free up your hands to tidy up the place, and everyone can still live freely. If the imperial court stops attacking Goguryeo one day and focuses on heroes from all walks of life, everyone will become grasshoppers after the autumn, and no one will be able to reach too far.
long time.
If they don't want to be wiped out one by one by the imperial court, everyone can only unite to seek wealth and wealth. But there is a key problem that is difficult to solve when joining forces, that is, who will be the big leader. Originally, Zhi Shilang Wang Bo was a good candidate, but then
As he was defeated in every battle, the rhetoric of fortune-telling could no longer be tolerated. Therefore, Shi Zihe thought that before the imperial court began to turn its attention away from Liaodong, whoever broke out with the greatest reputation could replace Wang Bo and become the commander-in-chief of Henan Province.
The green forest has all the tricks. And the most convenient way to increase your fame is to find a stepping stone that is more famous than anyone else. Once you successfully take advantage of this person, even a trivial small victory will be enough.
Let other heroes be convinced.
After searching all the counties in Henan, the most famous person was Zhang Xutuo. For more than a year, dozens of famous heroes and villains had fallen into this man's hands. To defeat Zhang Xutuo head-on, none of them had the ability. But take advantage of him.
It's not a problem to stab him in the back accidentally.
Therefore, Shi Zihe went all the way to Juye Ze and joined forces with Pei Changcai to conspire for a great cause. His plan was to lead his soldiers and horses in a circle at the junction of Qi County, Lu County and Jibei County. As soon as Zhang Xutuo was obtained, he left Licheng
After hearing the news, all the heroes immediately sent troops to raid his lair. Zhang Xutuo paid homage to Qijun Cheng. If he lost Licheng, the seat of Qijun, even the civil and military officials of the Sui Dynasty would not be able to spare him without the help of the heroes.
he.
In order to achieve this goal, Shi Zihe invited Guo Fangyu, a hero from Beihai County, to lure Zhang Xutuo away from Licheng at the price of ten cows, thirty beautiful young women and fifty copper coins.
Then, two heroes, Shi and Pei, took advantage of Zhang Xutuo's absence and attacked Licheng with their brothers. Halfway through, they also made a deal and bought Changqing County at the junction of Jibei County and Qi County.
After looting everything, sufficient rations were raised for the two teams.
Unexpectedly, it took one day longer than the original plan, and Zhang Xutuo actually rushed back. At present, this person is blocked in the Fanghe Pavilion on Fanghe Ridge, which is less than five miles to the west of Licheng.
Heling is not that big, so the brothers walked around the ridge, wasting an hour at most. But who is Zhang Xutuo? He dares to fight against an army of 20,000 with four people without any ambush or rear attack?
From the beginning of the battle, Pei Changcai felt that there was something fishy here. He was extra cautious and sent his eldest son Pei Guang to lead the scouts to search the rear. As expected, it didn't take long for the scouts to be sent out.
At that moment, a warrior more ruthless than Zhang Xutuo came from behind and killed everyone. Fortunately, this man did not bring any troops, otherwise the 20,000 brothers at Fanghe Ridge would have had to have their dumplings made.
From the moment the strong man riding a black horse and carrying a black sword passed through the formation, Pei Changcai wanted to withdraw his troops. A good warrior does not fight uncertain battles. Who can guarantee that the big black man is not a messenger and is following him?
Behind the war horses, there are still a large number of officers and soldiers who will attack at any time? But his idea was suppressed by Shi Zihe. Shi Zihe thought that Zhang Xutuo might be bluffing. If the two came with great fanfare this time, they would not test it.
As soon as the opponent's strength is revealed, he will leave. Once the news spreads, the heroes from all over the world will laugh out loud!
"Bah! You can't bear to part with those thirty women and fifty bucks!" Pei Changcai rolled his eyes and shouted. He was so angry that he couldn't defeat Shi Zihe, so he had to make an agreement with the other party that both sides would send people in shifts to test. The number of people in each wave would not exceed
Three hundred, once an ambush is discovered by the enemy, withdraw immediately.
This strategy was very fair. Not only did Shi Zihe have no objection, he also took the initiative to send his gray-shirted troops to take the lead. When Pei Changcai saw that the other party was acting justly, he temporarily gave up the idea of retreating. But after three rounds of testing, he found that he had suffered a big loss again.
.Zhang Xutuo and his generals bullied others, and when the gray-shirted troops from Shizihe came forward, they usually dispersed them. But when it was his turn for the white-shirted troops to step forward, they killed them without mercy.
In the first three rounds of testing, Shi Zihe's command lost a total of less than forty brothers. However, Pei Changcai's white-led soldiers were stabbed to death and wounded by the damn Luo Shixin and Dugu Lin with more than seventy soldiers.
No one who escaped from Luo Shixin was willing to rush forward again. The mood of the others was also affected by the defeated accomplices. Ren Pei Changcai raised the reward for one charge from six white coins to ten pieces of meat, and mobilized them all.
I can't stand the morale of my brothers.
Shi Zihe believed that even if the five opponents were iron-clad, there would be times when they were tired of killing. If the ambush did not appear by then, it meant that there was no ambush ahead. Therefore, despite Pei Changcai's objections, he quickly organized a fourth
Round attack.
"They like you, Lao Shi!" Pei Changcai hummed in a low voice. At this time, he strongly suspected that Shi Zihe had colluded with the government. Otherwise, why would Zhang Xutuo rush back to Licheng from Zishui River so quickly?
Who tipped him off? Guo Fangyu was also a powerful man, with more than 7,000 brothers under his command. If he seriously entangled with Zhang Xutuo, would he be defeated so quickly? Also, the Shizihe people every time
The attacks were all like acting, almost following the same path. First, he climbed slowly up the slope, and was shot down while climbing up to the flag. Then the Sui general with a long shot attacked to the left, causing the black
The Sui general of the sword struck on the right. It was as if the two sides had made an agreement, and the battle ended easily without much fighting.
The more he looked, the more reasonable Pei Changcai realized that his suspicions were more reasonable. As he watched, Shizihe's people were defeated again. This time they lost fewer people. Except for the pawn holding the flag and the leader, almost everyone else
They were unscathed. But the two Sui generals, one with a yellow face and a black beard, and the other with a black face and a beard, did not pursue them seriously. They followed the defeated troops like ducks for a few steps, and then walked back in a swagger.
Pavilion.
"Dad, something is wrong. Look at those officers and soldiers, why are they only killing our people?" Pei Zicai's second son, Pei Gan, stepped forward and reminded him in a low voice. His views were very similar to his father's. If it was an attack by the White Belt Army,
The action failed, and the opponent was not so kind-hearted. Luo Shixin almost chased the defeated troops, and it was not until they were almost rushing into the main army formation that he reluctantly took his horses back.
"Something's wrong, I think Mr. Shi is trying to drive the tiger away and devour the wolf!" Pei Jing, the third son of Pei Changcai, had read the book for several days and had the most thorough understanding.
"Stop talking and tell our brothers to take it easy. If we can't attack, don't stop fighting!" Pei Changcai looked around and ordered in a very low voice.
With the words "Big Boss", how can the minions be willing to risk their lives seriously? Luo Shixin's mount had just rushed down the hillside, and the brothers in the White Belt Army had already turned back collectively under the leadership of the little leader. Only two of them were too panicked to escape.
, the one who fell down halfway was chased and stabbed to death by Luo Shixin, while the others successfully returned to their own formation.
"You little bastards of thieves, is this all you have?" Luo Shixin couldn't get enough of killing. He picked up his head with his long spear and shouted challenges halfway up the mountain. Dugu Lin held his riding bow flat and held his wolf-toothed arrow.
On the arm of the bow, he glanced randomly at the crowd at the foot of the mountain. Today's battle was a blast, more enjoyable than any previous battle. The only thing that made people feel unsatisfied was that there were people whose archery skills were better than mine.
"Li Lang almost doesn't need to aim when he takes action!" Dugu Lin mentally calculated the gap between him and Li Xu in shooting skills. From now on, he will have to work harder. The members of the Dugu family cannot be compared with an unknown boy.
He casually shot down an unlucky guy at the foot of the mountain, and then turned back to look at the pavilion. The next fierce fight was between Qin Shubao and Li Zhongjian. With the two of them here, he could rest assured and take a breather in the pavilion.
"Why haven't the county soldiers arrived yet? If it goes on for a long time, I'm afraid the bandits will jump over the wall!" In the Fanghe Pavilion, Qin Shubao reminded the general in a low voice while arranging the saddles of the horses. Everyone has been out of the city for more than an hour. Here,
Within a period of time, the county soldiers living in and around the city should have received the news and assembled. The prefect Pei Caozhi was a shrewd man. He should have known that the strength of four people could not stop the 20,000 enemy troops.
"Lao Pei, how can your people escape without fighting?" Under the mound, Shi Zihe also looked suspicious. "If you retreat before fighting, isn't this a disgrace to us Henan heroes?"
"I think there must be a scam here!" Pei Changcai felt guilty and did not dare to answer Shi Zihe's question directly. He looked around. "Let's retreat! Zhang Xutuo is a subtle person, how could he take such a risk?"
"
In order to make his conclusion more convincing, Pei Changcai pointed to a few people in the pavilion. "Look, Zhang Xutuo has been whispering with the black-faced man. Look, the big one riding the yellow fat horse, he
Why did you turn around and lead the horse down the mountain?"
Pei Changcai was referring to Qin Shubao, who was leading his mount to the other side of the mound. He looked unhurried, as if he was traveling alone. This strengthened his judgment that there was a trap in front of him, "Let's do it
The principle of business is to accept it as soon as it is good. Anyway, Changqing County has been conquered, and our vote is enough!"
Shi Zihe ignored Pei Changcai's words and turned his gaze to Qin Shubao. What is this person going to do? Is there really an ambush near the pavilion? He overturned his judgment over and over again and succumbed to the temptation from deep inside his heart again and again. "
What if I kill him at all costs?" Suddenly, a crazy and bold idea came to Shi Zihe's heart. "Kill Zhang Xutuo to avenge the brothers, and use the old thief's head to command the world..."
As if he felt the crazy gaze at the foot of the mountain, Zhang Xutuo suddenly moved. Then, he took two quick steps to catch up with Qin Shubao.
"Tell the prefect that Li Xu and Li Zhongjian, the nephew of Tang Gong Li Yuan and His Majesty's favorite general, have arrived and are by my side. Also, Dugu Lin, the clan brother of General Dugu Kai of Shangzhu Kingdom, is not willing to retreat to the city alone.
!" Zhang Xutuo looked down the mountain and warned in a voice that only two people could hear.
Seeing the firewood piled high on the horse's face, Qin Shubao knew that everyone had misunderstood the prefect Pei Caozhi. The prefect did not mean to delay the war, and he really did not mean to kill everyone.
The horse's face, which protrudes outside the city wall to make up for the blind spots in defense, is now piled with dry firewood. Pei Caozhi, the prefect of Qi County, is wearing a clean and neat Sui Dynasty official robe, with a seal hanging around his neck, and his face is solemn.
.In November, the wind above the city was a bit strong, but the old man was not afraid of the cold at all. Before Qin Shubao could ask for help, he shouted at the bottom of the city at the top of his lungs: "Shu Bao, since you are following Zhang Juncheng to seek your own safety."
There is a way out, and I can't blame you. Please see that I haven't treated you lightly over the years. Please give General Zhang a message. Just say that I wish him a safe journey. If he wants to take Licheng without a fight.
, come and see!" The old prefect pointed to the dry firewood at his feet and raised the torch high with one hand. "I don't have any martial arts skills, but I am willing to risk my life to serve the country!"
"What's going on here!" Qin Shubao was so angry that his eyes turned black. Fortunately, he was calm and calm, so he quickly explained loudly before Governor Pei ordered the arrow to be fired: "Sir, please don't get me wrong, Zhang Juncheng did not surrender to the enemy.
.The rebel army was blocked by us outside the Crane Fang Pavilion. I came back not to persuade you to surrender, but to ask for reinforcements on your behalf!"
The county soldiers on the city didn't believe that Zhang Xutuo would surrender to the enemy, but the three most prestigious generals followed Zhang Xutuo out to fight. The remaining people had no backbone, so they were told by Pei Caozhi that they did not dare to leave the city.
Following Qin Shubao's explanation, everyone immediately started making noises, cheering, and prepared to rush off the horse path to open the city gate. However, Pei Caozhi refused to believe Qin Shubao's words, turned around, and shouted orders repeatedly, relying on the generals of his own soldiers.
The force forcibly restrained the county soldiers. Then, the prefect, who was determined to die, turned his gaze to the city, stretched out his halberd and said: "General Qin, I thought you were a gentleman, but I didn't expect that you also learned to talk nonsense. With four words
Do you think I'm a fool for holding back tens of thousands of bandits by myself?"
The He Fang Pavilion is less than five miles away from Licheng. Standing on the city wall, you can clearly see the figures in the distance. Looking from the direction of Licheng, Zhang Xutuo has been sitting under the pavilion and watching the scenery since he arrived at the He Fang Pavilion.
From the beginning to the end, one person from the bandit army came up to greet Zhang Xutuo, Qin Shubao, and Luo Shixin. Then Luo Shixin and others ran down the mountain and came back again and again. The situation was clearly a discussion between the two parties.
The conditions don’t look like they are trying their best!
Another cry of killing faintly came from the wind. Pei Caozhi could turn a deaf ear to it, but Qin Shubao was worried. General Zhang's plan of suspecting soldiers would not last long. If it were a moment later, the thieves would definitely step on General Zhang's blood and kill them under the city wall.
.By then, I'm afraid the old guys on the city won't have any other strategy to retreat from the enemy except fighting.
Suppressing the urge to shoot Pei Caozhi off the city wall with an arrow, Qin Shubao summoned up all his energy and retorted loudly: "Brothers, Mr. Zhang has been conquering everywhere in the past few years and has killed many bandits. How could he have turned traitor and surrendered to the enemy?
Who? Which bandit is brave enough to accept Master Zhang's surrender?" Looking back anxiously into the distance, Qin Shubao aimed at Pei Caozhi again: "Master Pei doesn't believe Qin, and he doesn't believe Master Zhang and Luo Shixin.
, don’t you still believe in Dugu Lin’s loyalty? He is the younger brother of General Dugu Xin of Shangzhu Kingdom and the cousin of the current emperor. His Majesty’s confidants Li Xu and Li Zhongjian are also here, fighting against the thieves side by side with Mr. Zhang. He is
The hero who rescued 300,000 troops from Liaodong, can you not even trust him?"
The last two sentences are extremely sharp. Even if Pei Caozhi is determined to die for the country, he has to consider the consequences of hesitating any longer. If what Qin Shubao said is true, his current actions may not leave a lasting reputation as he imagined.
.The Dugu family will settle this debt with the Pei family, and His Majesty the Emperor will not give up. If there are a few generals with ulterior motives among the soldiers who have an excuse to avenge Li Zhongjian...
Pei Caozhi hesitated, and the torch in his hand emitted black smoke. Personal life and death were of minor importance, and the interests of the family were the greatest. After repeated consideration, he finally decided to give up the opportunity to die for his country, pointed at the city gate with the torch, and whispered an order
Said: "Kaicheng, Huyi, Yingyang two battalions of county soldiers went out to accompany Qin Duwei to rescue Mr. Zhang. The rest continue to stand by at the top of the city!"
"Yes!" the county soldiers agreed, and immediately opened the city gate and rushed out. Qin Shubao did not bother to get angry with the prefect, and shouted "Brothers, follow me!" and led everyone to rush towards the crane-free pavilion.
Not counting the delay on the road, it took half a stick of incense just to wait under the city wall for Pei Caozhi to make a decision. He didn't know if the not-so-smart trick of deceiving soldiers had not been seen through by now? If the secret was exposed, Nian
Will Mr. Zhang, who is nearly fifty, have a chance to survive? Everything depends on luck, Qin Shubao thought angrily. He turned around and glanced at the tall city wall of Licheng County. He saw Pei Caozhi wearing a new torch and standing again.
On top of the pile of dry firewood, with beard and hair flying, and long sleeves fluttering. (To be continued)
