There is a saying that when the house leaks, it rains all night, and there is another saying that misfortune never comes alone.
When the report of the Gravel Slope battle came in, most of the generals thought that this was a local war, and many people even wanted to gain military glory. Unexpectedly, it only took a few days for it to develop into this situation.
It's not a big problem just for those desperate barbarians to attack. But if the Xirong tribes follow suit, it's a big deal!
Together, the Xirong tribes are quite numerous!
"How could this happen? Didn't they just send the annual tribute gift? After so many years of peace and quiet, they actually rebelled at this time?" Zong Rui was stunned.
When Emperor Taizu founded the country, he severely punished the Xirong tribes. Over the past few decades, they have been as obedient as little sheep.
Joining the army said: "I'm afraid this was premeditated! The tribes of Xirong have always been weak, and they will rely on whoever is stronger. Now our troops and horses are strong, but Beihu is in the middle of a war. Logically, they will not move."
All the generals said so.
Another person said: "Don't worry, Major General, there are three generals guarding Guliang Pass..."
Before he finished speaking, a new battle report came over: "Report - Guliang Pass was lost and General Zong Qing died in battle."
"What?" Zong Rui was shocked.
Zong Qing was his third uncle and was currently guarding Guliang Pass. It was also because of this that he was so calm after receiving the battle report that Xirong had rebelled. He thought that with his third uncle there, he would be able to stabilize the situation.
What's more, that was his third uncle who had loved him since he was a child, so they were separated forever.
All the generals were in an uproar and joined the army and said hurriedly: "Young General, once Guliang Pass is lost, Ningyi Pass will be taken. There are not many defenders there. You can't be too busy feeling sad now. Send people to support quickly. If Ningyi Pass is
If Yiguan is broken again, we will reach Baimen Gorge."
Zong Rui wiped his tears, nodded and said, "That's what you said."
This is the fate of all the men in the clan, not just the third uncle.
Now is not the time to be sad. My father's life and death are unknown, and my third uncle is gone. I have to support myself.
Zong Rui quickly cheered up and discussed with the generals how to send troops.
The Commander-in-Chief's Mansion in Baimenxia is a small fortress, surrounded by a city wall.
Yang Shu was standing on the city wall at this time, watching the messengers coming and going.
"With the war, the border has become less peaceful!" he sighed.
Mingwei just wondered: "It's so strange, there is no such thing in my memory!"
Yang Shu asked her: "You said that the Western Wei Dynasty was established during this period?"
"Yes." Ming Wei said, "At the end of the year, the eight tribes were unified into one, and Lord Hu Su Tu became emperor."
"After what happened in Tianshen Mountain, if we want to establish a dynasty, we have to wait a few years." Yang Shu frowned, "It's strange. Logically speaking, Su Tu has no spare power to invade the south. But in this situation, it's always
Do you think something is wrong?"
"It's such a coincidence that the Xirong tribes also rebelled at this time. There must be a connection here."
Yang Shu murmured: "I have a bad feeling. With such a sudden attack, I'm afraid this war will be more difficult than expected."
His guess soon became true.
Zong Xu never found it, and the Hu people on the gravel slope took advantage of the convenient location and occupied the city gate.
The war in the west is not going well either, and they are currently defending Ningyi Pass, suffering heavy casualties.
The Zuo Army is said to have 200,000 troops, but in fact not all of them are in Baimen Gorge. They have to guard a long border, and they are all piled up together wherever they can.
Moreover, the road is now blocked by ice and snow, so even if we mobilize troops, we can't get over it.
In other words, before spring warms and the ice melts, Baimen Gorge, together with the surrounding city gates, is an isolated island.
Fortunately, the emperor has always attached great importance to the northwest border defense, and has sufficient reserves of grain, grass and various materials, so there is no logistical crisis for the time being.
Yang Shu would go to the city wall every day to watch soldiers and horses coming in and out.
Mingwei saw what was on his mind: "Do you want to help?"
Yang Shu took a long time to answer: "It's useless to think about it. My identity is too embarrassing. There are many generals in the Northwest Army and they won't let me interfere."
Mingwei said: "Just because we can't go to the battlefield doesn't mean we can't help."
Yang Shu was stunned for a moment: "What do you mean?"
"I always feel that this war is strange, and there must be a reason behind it. Should we go check it out?"
"check?"
"Yes, go to the gravel slope."
Yang Shu was very excited.
He knew it was dangerous to go to the gravel slope, but it was too uncomfortable to stay here and watch.
After thinking about it, he went to see Zong Rui that night.
After hearing his request, Zong Rui exclaimed in shock: "Are you crazy? My father has disappeared. Now the road is blocked by ice and snow, it is impossible to pass, and the snow is still falling, which may cause even greater snow disasters. You treat me as a human being
Aren't you in a hurry? But if you are in a hurry, you can't let your sergeants die. You can only look for it slowly..."
Yang Shu said: "There are two reasons. First, I have few people, but all of them are top-notch, so I have an advantage in finding people. Second, I am not under the control of your Northwest Army, and if anything happens, it will not affect the overall situation."
"That's what I say, but it's too dangerous..."
Speaking of these days, Zong Rui is eager to drive Yang Shu away. This guy is really annoying, his words are unpleasant, he is very fond of people's hearts, and he is very good at chess. If nothing happens, he will slap him in the face...
But no matter how much he hates him, there is no deep hatred. Sometimes he even feels sympathy when he thinks about his abilities and life experience. Even if he doesn't need to be responsible, he doesn't want Yang Shu to die in vain here.
Yang Shu sighed: "Why don't I know the danger? But you also know that with my life experience, it is impossible for me to show my talents on my own. Now that Baimen Gorge is isolated from the world due to ice and snow, this is an opportunity given to me by God.
. Even if it is impossible to become famous and I will not be commended, it will not be in vain for more than ten years of hard study to give me a chance to show my talents..."
Zong Rui was quite moved when he heard what he said.
He asked again: "Do you really know the dangers involved? Marching in ice and snow is extremely hard, and it is not what you imagined sitting in the middle of the army planning thousands of miles."
"I know. We may encounter snow disaster again and be buried in the ice and snow. Even if we make it safely, we may be hacked to death by barbarians." Yang Shu stretched out his palm, "But you see, since I was a child,
I have learned as much as you, and you can show off your skills. What about me? You think I am obsessed with having fun, but I really have no other choice..."
Zong Rui felt sad when he saw that the calluses on his palms were exactly the same as his own.
This is left over from learning equestrian skills, this is left over from practicing swordsmanship, this is left behind from holding a gun...
He was moved.
"If I die in Baimen Gorge for no reason, I'm afraid you and your son will be held accountable. But if there is a war, it has nothing to do with you. If I really can't come back, you can say good things to me when I go to the memorial.
If you die more gloriously, our friendship will not be in vain."
Zong Rui said: "Why should I be afraid of trouble? I'm just worried about you... That's all. Since you are determined to go, I won't stop you. If you can really find my father, you will be a great benefactor of my clan. In the future, as long as you don't
If you violate the teachings of our ancestors, we will definitely protect you to the end. I, Zong Rui, will put my words here, and I will keep my word!"
Yang Shu secretly smiled, with a serious face: "I hope we can meet again one day." (To be continued)