"Master, I have something urgent to report!"

Before the Yin hour passed, a rapid knock on the door suddenly sounded.

Song Xi, who was sleeping, suddenly woke up, put on his big cloak and quickly opened the door.

Jian Dong and Dao Hong, whose faces were solemn and covered with chills, reported a terrible news in sad tones.

"Master, the Tatars invaded the border, Ganzhou fell, the Zhou army lost three cities in a row, the Marquis was unfortunately seriously injured, the prince... the prince was killed in battle!"

After hearing the bad news suddenly, Song Xi's mind went blank. The unprecedented panic instantly overwhelmed all his perceptions. His panicked heartbeat hit his reason hard, and his whole body was confused and at a loss.

Jian Dong lowered his eyes and couldn't bear to look at his master's face. He gritted his teeth and told all the details of the battle report.

Ten days ago, the Tatars raided the border.

Dingbei Marquis Song Haocang led his general Xiang Rui and his deputy Deng Peng to attack the main Tatar force at the Ganzhou border. His son Song Chengze and his deputy Huang Liming went behind the enemy lines to encircle and ambush them.

The plan that was supposed to be foolproof went unexpectedly unexpectedly. The Tatars actually learned about the combat deployment of the Zhou army in advance. Not only did they attack east and west and break through Ganzhou's fortress, they even ambush Song Cheng's detachment who was preparing to encircle and kill the enemy.

.

Song Cheng was surrounded and pursued by the Tatars who were three times his own. In the end, he was exhausted and seriously wounded and died on the battlefield. Most of his soldiers were also killed or wounded. Only deputy general Huang Liming escaped in embarrassment with a few soldiers.

Song Haocang, who was facing the main force of the enemy army, made successive mistakes on the battlefield and was unfortunately injured and fell into coma. The Tatar army took the opportunity to seize the position and attacked three cities in a row. The Zhou army was forced to retreat to Xiliang.

After the Tatars captured Ganzhou, they broke into the city and brutally slaughtered the people of Zhou Dynasty, plundered gold, silver and grain, turning the three lost cities into a hell on earth.

"What should be arranged now? Master, please tell me as soon as possible!"

After reporting the military situation in the northwest, Jian Dong and Dao Hong couldn't help but look at Song Xi. The life and death of the pillar of the Hou Mansion in the northwest was unknown, and now the only man in front of him could take charge of the overall situation.

Song Xi closed her eyes to cover the pain in her eyes, leaned against the door to stabilize her weak legs, and forced herself to calmly issue the summons order.

"Recall all the secret guards and soldiers of the Song family and wait for me in the meeting hall to arrange the next response and plan."

"promise!"

There were four groups of secret guards under Song Xi's command, Sword, Sword, Wind and Thunder, with a total number of sixty-eight. The Song family's palace guards totaled one hundred and eighteen. After receiving the order, they all gave up the task at hand and rushed back to the Hou Mansion without stopping.

.

These manpower is sufficient on weekdays, but it is seriously insufficient in times of crisis.

Song Xi pursed his lips with a tense expression, feeling very regretful that he had not been able to station troops earlier, so that he could not find enough help when the situation came to pass.

"All palace soldiers listen to the order! From now on, the Hou's Mansion can only enter and exit through the main entrance or the back door. All other side doors are blocked. Twenty guards are stationed in my mother's and grandmother's courtyards respectively. The rest are responsible for guarding the gates and taking turns to patrol every corner of the mansion.

at.

The Feng Group and the Lei Group took two-thirds of the elixirs in stock and went to Xiliang to rescue my father and brother. They must successfully save the two of them. If they have enough energy, they will pay attention to explore the situation in the northwest; the secret guards of the Knife Group are responsible for staying at the Hou Mansion.

Strictly protect the safety of my mother and grandmother; the sword group secret guards will accompany me when I go out on business."

"yes--!"

After arranging the division of labor in all aspects, everyone took action quickly.

Song Xi quietly left the Hou Mansion with his sword group of secret guards, preparing to take advantage of the night to explore the movements of the palace and political opponents.

Before dawn, he had to visit his father's old friends and ask them to intercede for his father and brother in court. After all, losing three cities in a row was a serious mistake. If political opponents attacked in groups, his father might face dismissal from office or prison.

disaster.

If relatives and friends can help with discussions and operations, and leave some time for the Hou Mansion to investigate and respond, then this crisis of defeat will have a chance to be resolved smoothly.

My father has been guarding the northwest for more than ten years, and he has always been careful and never made any mistakes. This defeat happened very strangely. How could the Tatars capture three cities in a row so easily?

Ganzhou's defense and combat plans were important military plans, but the Tatars seemed to have learned all the arrangements in advance, and defeated the Zhou army without any effort.

Both my father and eldest brother have excellent martial arts skills. Not long ago, they obtained the Yu family's magical amulet and carried the elixir and holy elixir with them. Why were they seriously injured by the enemy on the battlefield?

And big brother...

Song Xi's red eyes suddenly filled with tears of mourning, and she still couldn't accept the death of her eldest brother in battle.

I hope that the Feng Group and the Lei Group can arrive in the northwest as soon as possible, and then send a letter to tell them that this is false news. Without seeing the body of his eldest brother with his own eyes, he still hopes that the other party can survive by chance. The Song family has dedicated to the Great Zhou Dynasty for several generations. In fact,

Can't afford any more sacrifices.

He didn't even know how to talk to his grandmother and mother!

Who is... secretly framing the Song family?

He did not hesitate to collaborate with the enemy and the Tatars, and revealed the defense and operations of Ganzhou to the enemy; he did not hesitate to murder the commander and lead to defeat, and ceded the land and people of the Zhou Dynasty to the cruel enemy. Who on earth set up a conspiracy to overthrow the Hou Mansion?

Such a poisonous plot?

Song Xi believed that there must be a traitor among the imperial court and the border troops. No matter how bad his father and brother were, they would never be able to lose three cities in a row!

Yu Yalan's reminder suddenly flashed in her mind. She once said that Concubine He's behavior at the New Year's Eve banquet was a little unusual.

Could it be...the eldest prince?

It shouldn’t be possible, right?!

Song Xi shook his head in disbelief.

No matter how fierce and vicious the fighting in the court is, as a prince, he cannot do anything that will endanger the country and the country!

However, although he rejected such an idea in his heart, he turned towards the eldest prince's palace and rushed away.

The truth still needs to be verified carefully, as the facts cannot be determined by just guessing.

…

Time passed by in a hurry, and the morning sun gradually rose with the sound of roosters crowing.

News of the fall of Ganzhou spread quickly in the capital, and the calm morning was filled with a sense of chilling.

The atmosphere in the morning court was very heavy, and the courtiers were frowning and tense.

Emperor Yuanfeng, who was sitting high in the Golden Palace, had a sinister expression on his face, and his hands were tightly grasping the armrests of the dragon chair. The report of the battle in the northwest made him furious. This was a major accident that had not happened in more than ten years!

If Song Cheng hadn't died in the battle and Song Haocang was seriously injured and fell into coma, he would have begun to wonder if the Dingbei Hou Mansion had collaborated with the enemy and betrayed the country and deliberately lost the battle.

The Prime Minister of the Left, He Zhengqing, secretly glanced at the emperor's expression, pretended to be angry and went out to impeach: "Your Majesty, Dingbeihou failed to guard the defense well and lost three cities in a row. Now he is seriously injured and cannot fight anymore. It is better to choose another general to replace him.

Take command so that the soldiers in the northwest will be leaderless and the Zhou army will not be able to work together to fight against the Tatars.
Chapter completed!