(Two in one. I have something to do today, so the update is late, sorry!)
Even though Guo Xu was anxious for Zhao Yuankang to see him, he could not see the living Zhao Yuankang. At this moment, Zhao Yuankang was lying on his back on the battlefield between the woods, with dozens of arrows all over his body.
, already completely dead.
Zhao Yuankang fulfilled his oath. When he was ordered to attack from Shiren Pass that day, he swore a poisonous oath in front of Guo Xu, saying that if he could not succeed, he would be willing to be pierced by thousands of arrows and die. Bowangpo
After being ambushed and defeated, Guo Xu did not hold on to this but forgave him. He himself seemed to have forgotten the oath he had sworn. However, today, after all, he could not escape the backlash of the oath. Although he was not pierced by thousands of arrows.
He was only hit by more than twenty arrows, but this way of death was already miserable enough.
Speaking of which, Zhao Yuankang's death was a bit unjust. He was originally surrounded by many personal guards, and he himself also carried a large oak shield to protect himself. However, when a swarm of rocket launchers raged, the formation was in chaos. The smoke from the explosion caused all around him to
People couldn't find each other, and it became a mess. Zhao Yuankang originally adopted the best strategy, which was to squat on the ground and cover most of his body with a large shield. The large oak shield could completely withstand rocket fire, and
It can withstand some damage from explosions. But because it was too chaotic and the people around him were busy protecting themselves, his large shield was actually groped and snatched away by several soldiers around him.
Although he yelled to identify himself, the soldiers seemed not to hear his roar in the chaotic situation. Several people snatched the large oak shield away, as if they were ripping it off a turtle mountain.
Like a hard shell, his fragile body was suddenly exposed without any protection. Zhao Yuankang cursed and instinctively wanted to escape from here. However, sadly, he ran in the wrong direction. In the chaos, he
He actually ran a few steps in the direction of the enemy. By the time he discovered this, it was already too late. A hail of arrows hit his body, and two rockets were nailed to his chest. After the explosion, his body was almost completely destroyed.
The chest was blown through. Zhao Yuankang, the dignified deputy envoy to the Privy Council of the Zhou Dynasty and the commander of the front department, died in this useless battle.
Zhao Yuankang's body was quickly discovered by Luoyan Army soldiers who were cleaning up the battlefield. His armor was different from that of ordinary soldiers, and his saber was also different, so there was no need to recognize his true appearance. You could tell his identity just by distinguishing his attire. It was very simple.
Soon Lin Jue learned the news of Zhao Yuankang's death. After identifying it himself, he confirmed it without a doubt and couldn't help laughing.
"This thief has done many unjust things, and today he finally got his retribution. Your Majesty's spirit in heaven should be gratified!" Lin Jue said.
"Exactly, a good death, a good death. Someone comes and hangs Zhao Yuankang's body to show to the public. This traitor is one of the masterminds who participated in the usurpation and rebellion. He was punished this time, and the way of heaven is revealed. To show it to the public.
To comfort the deceased emperor." Guo Kun was also overjoyed and ordered.
Lin Jue hurriedly said: "Brother, I think it is better to return Zhao Yuankang's body to Guo Xu. There is no point in hanging it here in public, and people outside the mountain will not know. It is better to return it to Guo Xu, so as to warn Guo Xu and others.
Officers, soldiers and generals urge them to recognize the difficulty and retreat."
Guo Kun thought for a moment and said, "That's fine, I'll just do it as you wish."
So half an hour later, Zhao Yuankang's body lay in front of Guo Xu. Luoyan Jun also carefully arranged his appearance, covered the big hole in his chest with cloth, and cleaned his hideous remains that were covered with blood.
However, the dozens of arrows were not removed and were still stuck in the corpse.
Guo Xu was originally full of anger towards Zhao Yuankang, and even wanted to punish him heavily, but now he saw Zhao Yuankang who had died in the battle, and his anger suddenly disappeared, and a feeling of panic and sadness arose spontaneously. He already knew this
As for the details of the battle in the forest, we know that the Luoyan Army used an extremely violent firearm to block the attack of the army. According to the description, it was an extremely ferocious firearm, which caused huge damage and chaos in a short period of time, leading to
The army was defeated. Guo Xu was already panicking and didn't know how to deal with it. At this moment, when he saw Zhao Yuankang's body, he couldn't help but shed tears.
"I didn't expect it, I didn't expect it, Zhao Aiqing, you actually died here, I really didn't expect it. I lost my arm and the country lost a good general. Do you really want to lose your life here? It's just a copycat city.
Can't we take it? Am I really wrong? Shouldn't we have sent troops here?" Guo Xu said with a strong tone.
No one knows whether Guo Xu is sad because of the death of Zhao Yuankang in the battle, or whether he is sad because of those who lost the war. In short, it is the first time for people who are familiar with Guo Xu to see Guo Xu shed tears, and the first time to see him so depressed.
"My condolences, Your Majesty. I am incompetent and cannot help you with Your Majesty's worries. I am guilty." All the generals shouted at the side.
Guo Xu shook his head and said: "I don't blame you, I don't blame you, I want to reflect, I want to reflect. The soldiers have fought bravely, but it was because of my incompetence in leading the army. Come, let General Bai go, I want to apologize to him
.”
It was the first time that Guo Xu took the initiative to admit his mistake. Although few people thought that the emperor sincerely admitted his mistake, at least his attitude at the moment was sincere. Bai Qi was brought here, and Guo Xu personally untied him and said to him sincerely.
He apologized. Bai Qi was a little flattered and blamed himself again and again. After seeing Zhao Yuankang's body, Bai Qi finally understood why the emperor was like this. It seemed that the emperor was really in trouble this time. He might want to consult everyone.
opinions and come up with a solution to the current predicament.
Sure enough, Guo Xu immediately announced the suspension of the attack and rested on standby. He immediately summoned the generals to discuss countermeasures.
…
a fire
After the battle, Luoyan Valley ushered in a rare calm. Although strong enemies were still there at the foot of the mountain, inspired by the battle in the morning, the morale of the Luoyan Valley soldiers was high. They swept away their previous worries and were full of confidence in defeating the strong enemy.
confidence.
From afternoon to evening, there was no more fighting between the two sides, and the situation temporarily fell into an anxious confrontation. After three consecutive days of fighting, everyone was a little tired. Taking this opportunity, both sides urgently needed to rest.
As the sun set, Lin Jue came alone to the cliff on the east side of Luoyan Valley. He put his hands behind his hands and looked at the mountains under the setting sun and the fields and rivers in Luoyan Valley. He looked at the brilliant scene like clouds all over the mountains and stayed still for a long time.
Thoughtful.
Gao Muqing and Bai Bing walked hand in hand from the mountain forest. They didn't see Lin Jue at the village leader, so they asked the soldiers and found out that Lin Jue had come here alone.
"Husband, why are you here alone? It's easy for us to find you." Gao Muqing cried out softly.
Lin Jue turned around and saw Gao Muqing and Bai Bing, so he smiled and said, "Why are you here? I just came to have some quiet time. It's too noisy inside."
Gao Muqing approached slowly and said with a smile: "Brothers celebrate their victory, so naturally their voices are louder. It's not the first day that my husband has met them. Aren't you still used to it?"
Lin Jue smiled and didn't answer, but Bai Bing whispered from behind: "My husband seems to be in a bad mood, right?"
Lin Jue was stunned and said with a smile: "Why am I in a bad mood?"
Bai Bing said: "My husband can't hide it from me. I won the battle, but instead of celebrating with everyone, I came here alone. Isn't this strange?"
Lin Jue laughed and sighed softly. Gao Muqing also realized that there was something strange and hurriedly asked: "Is what Miss Bai Bing said true? My husband is really in a bad mood? Why is that?"
Lin Jue turned his head and looked at the setting sun in the west and said nothing.
Gao Muqing stepped forward and said softly: "Husband, is it possible that you have something to say that you can't tell us?"
Lin Jue turned to look at Gao Muqing's handsome face and said softly: "Bing'er is right, I am indeed not in a good mood. I was afraid that it would affect the mood of the brothers, so I came out to soothe myself."
"Why, we won a great victory. In the battle in the morning, we annihilated nearly nine thousand officers and soldiers. Our Luoyan Army suffered no more than a thousand casualties and captured countless weapons and armor. This was a complete victory. How come my husband is still in a bad mood?
?Is it because he is worried that he will run out of rockets and it will be difficult to fight in the future?" Gao Muqing asked in confusion.
Lin Jue slowly shook his head and said: "Of course it's not because of this. Although the rockets are exhausted, after this battle, the officers and soldiers dare not act rashly. They don't know how many rocket reserves I have in the village. Besides, I don't have no follow-up means. Just
To resist the enemy with a swarm of swarms is not my way of doing things."
Gao Muqing said: "Then why?"
Lin Jue breathed a sigh of relief and said: "That's all, it's okay to tell you. In fact, the more enemies we kill, the worse I feel. You know, all we kill are Zhou's soldiers and horses.
.Although these people are enemies at the moment, they are driven here by Guo Xu. After all, they are the soldiers of the Great Zhou. Every time one is killed, the Great Zhou becomes weaker. As for me, I do not want to fight with these people.
People are enemies. Do you understand?"
Gao Muqing frowned and said nothing. She didn't understand what Lin Jue wanted to express.
Bai Bing was smart and said softly: "Could it be that your husband is unwilling to win the battle with Guo Xu by massacring the soldiers and horses of the Great Zhou Dynasty? Because that would weaken the overall strength of the Great Zhou Dynasty?"
Lin Jue nodded and said: "What Bing'er said is generally right. You may think that my idea is strange, but I really think so. These soldiers and horses are actually the guarantee of the Great Zhou and the cornerstone of the security of the Great Zhou.
The more we kill, the weaker the Zhou Dynasty becomes. We raise the flag not to kill each other, but to defeat Guo Xu and avenge the late emperor. I do not want to cause the Zhou Dynasty to become weak and the world to be in chaos, because that will
It would be a huge harm to the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty. I don’t want our Luoyan Army to do anything to help foreign enemies. If there are no foreign enemies watching, I don’t mind fighting in a bloody battle with Guo Xu’s men. However, the situation is far from that simple.
"
Gao Muqing also understood and said in a deep voice: "My husband is worried that we will hit Dazhou too hard, causing his vitality to be severely damaged. Once someone takes advantage of the situation, the court will be unable to resist it, leading to a tragedy of annihilation of the country?"
Lin Jue nodded slowly and said: "I know it's a bit too much to think this way. They are here to destroy us. I shouldn't think so. But this kind of thought always lingers and makes it difficult for me to let go. If it weren't for Guo Xu's big move
When we come to attack, I will never order the Luoyan Army to fight with the officers and soldiers, because I don’t want to cause chaos in the Zhou Dynasty, and I don’t want to kill each other. Maybe my idea is ridiculous, but this is what I expect in my heart. I want to be the first
The emperor raised the flag to take revenge and raise the flag for the people of the Zhou Dynasty. However, if this action ruined the country of the Zhou Dynasty and plunged the people into fire and water, is that right or wrong?"
Gao Muqing and Bai Bing were both speechless. They actually couldn't understand why Lin Jue had such strange and incredible thoughts. In their view, the matter was actually very simple. The other party who came to attack the mountain was the enemy. To the enemy, it was
They can only defeat and kill them to ensure their own safety. They will not think about what this will bring. Guo Xu does not give Luoyan Valley a way to survive, but he has to think about Guo Xu? This is simply a strange theory.
However, they also vaguely felt something. The husband's heart is not willing to rest at ease in this village. Although he is in the village, he has never regarded himself as a person in the village. To put it bluntly, the husband has the world in his heart.
.Although he has
He raised the flag and rebelled, but in his heart he still regarded Dazhou as his home. In fact, he had always preached this. He told everyone in the village that the village was not a paradise, and everything in the village was under the rule of Dazhou.
Never think of yourself as a bandit or a person who subverts the Great Zhou Dynasty. That is not in line with your husband's imagination.
If what Lin Jue said today were told to the generals, I'm afraid there would be a quarrel. They would mistakenly think that Lin Jue has a woman's kindness. However, this is not as simple as a woman's kindness. Lin Jue has reflected recently, and he has become more and more
The more I feel that my thoughts have moved closer to the seriousness of Fang Dunru and the others, many things that were previously incomprehensible have suddenly become understandable. That is a brand new warning. In the eyes of outsiders, this may be a kind of ignorance.
The idea will be regarded as ignorant of current affairs and ridiculous, just like people's evaluation of Yan Zhengsheng and Fang Dunru. But Lin Jue himself understands that this is what responsible people of the times must think about.
question.
What kind of deeds does a person have to be considered a promising person? Is it important to achieve personal success or to strive for the overall benefit? Is it important to have grudges or to compromise for the sake of the overall situation? What is the best choice?
Choice, this has actually become a lingering question in Lin Jue's mind. In the past, Lin Jue might have been overjoyed at the great victory in front of him, but at this moment, Lin Jue was no longer the Lin Jue he was before. He thought more and deeper.
.
Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, whether it is right or wrong, Lin Jue himself is also very conflicted, and it is difficult to have an answer. And Lin Jue's considerations are not humane, because they will definitely gain everyone's incomprehension, and even dissatisfaction.
.
Fortunately, facing Gao Muqing and Bai Bing, Lin Jue could speak freely what was in his heart, because Lin Jue knew that they would not be dissatisfied with him, at most they just didn't understand. Even if they didn't understand, they would still
Stand on your own side.
"Husband, no matter what, we are facing a powerful enemy. At this moment, you should not think too much. The simplest truth is in front of you. If the stronghold is not protected, what else can we say? We must first ensure the safety of the soldiers and civilians of Dazhai and Luoyan Valley, right? "If the imperial troops capture the stronghold and capture us, they won't be kind to us at all, right?" Gao Muqing said solemnly.
Lin Jue nodded and said: "What Mu Qing said is absolutely true. I just thought about these things. I have to do whatever I need to do about the matter in front of me. As long as the officers and soldiers dare to continue attacking, I will never be soft-hearted. Everything It’s all based on the safety of the mountain stronghold and the safety of the soldiers and civilians in Luoyan Valley. Without these, there is no need to talk about anything.”
Gao Muqing and Bai Bing looked at each other and smiled. They thought that their husband was thinking too much and was going crazy. He would not be willing to continue to brutally attack the officers and soldiers. It seemed to be unfounded worries. The husband was just thinking too much, but he was still very rational. , and did not go crazy.
"Husband, let's go to the village quickly, everyone is waiting for you." Gao Muqing said with a smile.
Lin Jue said: "What are you waiting for me to do? By the way, is there something wrong with you coming to me?"
Gao Muqing looked at Lin Jue and said solemnly: "Guo Xu sent people up the mountain."
…
The one who went up the mountain was Bai Qi, who had been temporarily appointed as the commander of the army by Guo Xu, taking over the position of the deceased Zhao Yuankang. In the afternoon, Guo Xu convened a meeting with the generals, hoping to find a solution to the current difficult situation. At the meeting, Bai Qi proposed a plan.
Bai Qi's strategy is to go up the mountain to negotiate with the Luoyan Army. Negotiation is just a means, stabilizing the current situation is the real purpose. Because the army's morale is low now, if it attacks the mountain at this time, it will be difficult to succeed, and it will take a period of rest and re-planning. Plan to attack the mountain and restore morale.
Of course, negotiation is not nonsense. If some kind of agreement can be reached with Lin Jue, it may not be impossible to end this siege through negotiation. However, the conditions must be extremely harsh. But it is not impossible.
Bai Qi personally invited Ying to go up the mountain to see Lin Jue. On the one hand, he was a guard general in the border area, and he had no intersection or grudge with Lin Jue. His status would not arouse Lin Jue's resentment. On the other hand, this plan was Bai Qi's plan. If you leave what comes out, it will be more conducive to grasp the sense of proportion.
Guo Xu gave Bai Qi full authority to represent himself, personally sent him to the foot of the mountain, and ordered people to escort him up the mountain. Bai Qi only took a dozen personal guards up the mountain, and made his purpose clear before being attacked. Luoyan Army soldiers took him After being escorted to the village leader's hall, no one could find Lin Jue, so Gao Muqing and Bai Bing came to look for Lin Jue.
Lin Jue was very surprised when he heard the news that Shanxia sent people to negotiate. With Guo Xu's temper, how could he negotiate with him? Could it be that he was really frightened by today's battle? This is also possible. This kind of battle would be a huge blow to the opponent's morale, and Guo Xu might have to reflect on the possibility of capturing Luoyan Valley.
Since he wants to talk, there is no harm in talking about it, but I want to see what kind of tricks Guo Xu is playing.
When Lin Jue returned to Luoyan County Yamen, the situation in the hall was very strange. The generals of the Luoyan Army stared at the person standing at the bottom with angry eyebrows. They were like Vajra Rakshasa. The man standing at the bottom was He was somewhat calm, with no fear on his face. Although this man was dark-skinned, his appearance was not evil. He was of medium stature and had a neatly trimmed beard, giving him a certain air of a Confucian general.
When Lin Jue arrived, all the generals saluted one after another. After Lin Jue returned the salute, he came to the main seat and sat down, looking up at the visitor.
"My lord, Bai Qi, if I guess correctly, this is Lord Lin Juelin." Bai Qi bowed his hands and said in a neither humble nor overbearing tone.
