Jian Tan looked at the man in front of him. He didn't look like Liu Xiu, but his voice was definitely that of Liu Xiu. He looked surprised and said in astonishment: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this is..."
"It's just a disguise." Liu Xiu explained with a smile.
Jiantan suddenly understood, and then took two steps back, stepped in to salute, and said: "I am here to see you, Your Majesty!"
"Excuse me." Liu Xiu saw the bandage wrapped around Jian Tan's body and asked, "Zi Ji was injured when he stole the camp? How was the injury?"
"Replying to your Majesty, it's just a superficial injury, and I'm not seriously injured."
Listening to Jiantan's understatement, Hua Feiyan added from the side: "Your Majesty, General Jian is leading the charge in this battle. He suffered three arrow wounds. Although his vitals were not injured, he also lost a lot of blood."
After hearing this, Liu Xiu's expression became serious and he said, "Since he is injured, Zi Ji should take a good rest."
Jiantan bowed and said, "Wei Chen knows."
Among Liu Xiu's subordinates, Jian Tan was considered a brave and skilled warrior.
Every time he fought with the enemy, he always charged from the front. Although he would be more or less stained after every battle, it also greatly stimulated the morale of his own soldiers.
"This is not a place to talk. Let's go to the city to talk!" Liu Xiu went in front and Jian Dan followed. As they walked toward the city, Liu Xiu asked about the situation in the city.
At present, the situation in Wancheng is relatively stable, and there is sufficient food and grass. However, the number of defenders is too small, and strong men cannot be recruited.
After Jiantan and Wanxiu captured Wancheng, they managed the army well and had strict military discipline. Relatively speaking, the people in Wancheng did not have such a strong feeling of rejection towards the Han army, but they did not have much favorable impression either. Not many people were willing to serve the Han army. The army participated in defending the city regardless of their lives.
Even if the Han army recruited strong men to carry logs and stones to the city walls, they were all hired.
At that time, the common people were obliged to do hard labor. Those who were unwilling to do hard labor could get money to make up for it. Each person had two thousand yuan per month. If they were to work for three months, the common people gave six thousand money to the government. No need to go.
According to this calculation, the monthly salary of workers at that time was almost 2,000 yuan. In fact, this was not the case. A considerable part of the money for replacing labor was considered as fines. If the government recruited workers, the common salary was 700 to 1,200 yuan per month.
Jian Tan and Wan Xiu knew very well that their side was unpopular in Nanyang. In order to appease the people in Wancheng, they did not impose forced labor, but hired people, and the salary they gave was 40 yuan a day.
Calculated in this way, one thousand two hundred dollars a month is equal to the highest salary offered by the government in other regions, so it is not low.
But even so, the number of strong men who came to apply for the job was extremely limited. Later, Jian Tan raised the daily salary to fifty yuan, and the number of strong men who came to work gradually increased.
When defending the city, there was no hope for the able-bodied men in the city. It was all up to the Han soldiers to fight tooth and nail on the city walls to resist the enemy.
This is the current situation in Wancheng.
After listening to Jiantan's words, Liu Xiu secretly sighed. Liu Xiu has always attached great importance to the people's support and public opinion, and he also knows the truth that "what the people want is invincible", but this time, his side did encounter difficulties in Nanyang. It's getting very difficult.
He changed the topic and asked: "How is Jun You's condition?"
When Wan Xiu was mentioned, Jian Dan had a worried look on his face. He lowered his head and whispered: "General Wan's condition... is not very good."
Liu Xiu frowned and asked, "What did the medical officer say?"
Jiantan took a deep breath and said, "The medical officer said that all the generals' internal organs were damaged and their blood and energy were exhausted."
Hearing this, Liu Xiu was shocked. All his internal organs were damaged and his blood was exhausted. Doesn't this mean his life is in danger? Liu Xiu asked: "Why is this happening?"
Jiantan shook his head slowly and said: "I was fine a few days ago, but suddenly I fell ill. The medical officer said that General Wan is..."
"What is it?"
"It won't be long before the oil runs out and the lamp dies." Jiantan lowered his head and spoke in a voice so low that even he could hardly hear him clearly.
Liu Xiu took a breath and said nothing for a long time.
He first asked Jian Tan to settle down Yin Lihua, Xu Xiling, Ding Xun, Cai Lin, Cui Yong, and Ji Yuanxiang. Then, he was led by Jian Tan to visit Wan Xiu, who was seriously ill.
At that time, Wang Lang proclaimed himself emperor in Hebei and hunted Liu Xiu everywhere. Ren Guang, the governor of Xindu County, was not afraid of Wang Lang's pressure and surrendered to Liu Xiu. At that time, Wan Xiu was appointed to the post of Xindu Order.
Wan Xiu participated in Liu Xiu's series of battles to pacify Hebei. He followed Liu Xiu in the north and south, and made great military achievements. In the second year of Jianwu, when Liu Xiu awarded the title of hero for the second time, Wan Xiu was also awarded the title. Huailihou.
Now Wan Xiu lives in the county mansion, in a quiet side courtyard. When Liu Xiu entered Wan Xiu's bedroom, it was filled with a strong smell of medicine.
Seeing Wan Xiu lying on the bed with a gray and bloodless face, Liu Xiu quickly stepped forward, walked to the bed, bent down, and looked at him with concern.
As if he heard something moving in the room, Wan Xiu slowly raised his eyes. When he saw someone standing next to the bed, it took a while for his chaotic eyes to finally focus.
His eyes fell directly on Liu Xiu's face. He didn't know how long it had passed before Wan Xiu's body suddenly shook, his lips squirmed, and he called out in a weak voice: "Is it your Majesty... Your Majesty?"
The words "Your Majesty" made Liu Xiu's heart twitch and his eye circles suddenly turned red. At this time, Liu Xiu had already removed the disguise on his face and returned to his original appearance.
He knelt down next to the bed, held Wan Xiu's hand, and said with a forced smile: "Jun You, it's me! I...I heard that you were sick, so I came to see you!"
When Wan Xiu heard this, his eyes were covered with a layer of mist, and tears fell down from the corners of his eyes. He said intermittently: "Wei Chen is useless, but... I still bother Your Majesty to rush from Luoyang to Wancheng, Wei Chen... Wei Chen is really incompetent..."
Liu Xiu sniffed, held Wan Xiu's hand tighter, and said softly: "Jun You, don't think so much. Now, you just need to take good care of your health! When you get better, you can go back to your fiefdom and recuperate. What? When your illness is completely cured, I will send someone to the fiefdom to take you back to Luoyang..."
At this point, Liu Xiu suddenly couldn't control her emotions, choked up, and tears fell on the quilt. When Liu Zhi died, Liu Xiu was not present. Afterwards, it was learned that although she was sad, she was not as heartbroken as she is now. Knife cut.
After all, Liu Xiu was a man who valued love and righteousness. He hoped that these old brothers who would follow him through life and death and conquer the world could live a prosperous life and enjoy their old age in peace. He was also willing to entrust large tracts of land to them so that their children and grandchildren could enjoy their lives. Can enjoy this wealth.
Wan Xiu looked at Liu Xiu, raised the corner of his mouth, and said with a smile: "In Wancheng, I can still see Your Majesty. I have no regrets, and I can die in peace!"
"Jun You, don't say that. Jun You's disease can definitely be cured! There must be a famous doctor who can cure it!" Liu Xiu said word by word.
They were talking in the room, when a soldier ran in in a panic. Jian Dan, who was standing aside, shouted angrily in a low voice: "Bastard! Who asked you to come? Get out!"
"General...general..." The soldier looked flustered and stammered when he spoke.
Liu Xiu turned around, looked at the soldier, and asked, "What happened?"
The soldiers knelt down on the ground with a thud, kowtowed forward, and said in a trembling voice: "Return to your majesty, the main forces of Dong Xin's army and Deng Zhong's army have gathered in formations in the north and south of the city. It seems... they plan to attack the city together!"
In the past, Dong Xinjun and Deng Zhongjun also came to attack Wancheng from time to time. It was just that you attack today and I will attack tomorrow. Each time, there were not many troops and horses attacking the city, and the intensity of the attack was not great. Anyway, they just let the people in the city The Han army could not stop.
But this time it was different. Looking at the size of the enemy forces outside the city, it seemed that both Dong Xin and Deng Zhong's troops had come out in full force to fight their own side to the death.
The soldiers of the Han army were not sure why this happened suddenly, but Liu Xiu knew it. Deng Zhong must have heard the news that Lihua and Xi Ling had fled into Wancheng, so he became frustrated and joined forces with Dong Xin's army to prepare for a large-scale attack on Wancheng. .
Deng Zhong and Dong Xin both deployed a large number of spies and patrols near Wancheng. It was not surprising that they saw many of their own people entering Wancheng.
Liu Xiu first patted Wan Xiu's hand, then stood up and said to Jian Tan: "Zi Ji, since this battle is a decisive battle, our army has no choice but to fight to the death with the enemy!"
Jian Tan intervened and said: "Your Majesty, I swear that I will live or die with Wancheng!"
Liu Xiu pondered for a moment and said: "Ziji led five thousand soldiers to guard the north city and resist the Dong army outside the city. I led the rest of the soldiers to guard the south city and resist the Deng army outside the city!"
Jiantan's expression changed and he said urgently: "Your Majesty, let me guard the south city while your majesty goes to guard the north city!"
He had fought against both Dong Xin and Deng Zhong, and he knew the depth of the two armies.
Relatively speaking, Deng Zhong's army was more brave and adept at fighting than Dong Xin's army, with more troops and stronger combat power. Facing the simultaneous attack of the two armies, the pressure on South City was definitely much greater than that on North City.
"No need to argue, this is an order!" Liu Xiu said decisively.
Jian Tan was about to speak, but at this moment, Wan Xiu, who had been bedridden for many days, suddenly sat up from the bed. His face, which had been ashen just a moment ago, suddenly became radiant.
Liu Xiu, Jian Tan and everyone present were all startled by Wan Xiu. People stared at him with wide eyes and were surprised. Wan Xiu moved his muscles and even got off the bed.
He stood up, stretched his arms and kicked his legs, feeling as if he had been reborn.
Wan Xiu stepped in and saluted Liu Xiu, and said in a loud voice: "I am willing to accompany your Majesty to guard Nancheng. Please give me your permission!"
Liu Xiu and Jian Tan, who had been stunned for a while, came to their senses. They looked at each other and saw a deep sadness in each other's eyes. Now they have realized that this is a return to the past!
Hearing the news of the enemy's massive attack, Jun You felt anxious and stirred up the last energy in his body, making him look as if he had suddenly recovered from a serious illness.
But once this energy is exhausted, then he... Liu Xiu and Jian Tan didn't dare to think about it any further. They said in unison: "Jun You should stay here and recuperate!"
Wan Xiu looked at Liu Xiu, knelt on his knees, kowtowed forward, and said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to participate in the battle of Nancheng!"
"Jun You!" Liu Xiu said meaningfully: "How can you participate in the war if your condition is not cured?"
Wan Xiu lowered his head and said quietly: "As a general in the army, the best place to belong is in front of the two armies. I, I, I must not die on this mere couch!"
As soon as these words came out, not to mention that Liu Xiu couldn't bear it, everyone present burst into tears. Liu Xiu looked away, tried his best to control his emotions, and kept his tone calm. He said: "Okay! Jun You, you, follow me. Go out and fight!"
Wan Xiu was so happy that he raised his eyes to look at Liu Xiu and said loudly: "I am lucky enough to be able to assist your majesty, help the Han Dynasty, gallop with your majesty on the battlefield, fight side by side, and drink the enemy's blood. I will have no regrets in this life!"
