As the sun sets to the west, smoke rises from the mountains and ravines on one side of Dong Zhiyuan, and flags with stars on a black background are fluttering. Some flags are stained with blood, turning into little crimson stains. There is a solemn and calm atmosphere in the smoke.

.

Occasionally, spies would come, but they would only dare to peek quietly in the shadows in the distance, and then quickly move away, just like the sneaky little beasts on Dong Zhiyuan.

The troops that fought out of the Xiaocang River were annexed here. A few days ago, the Iron Kites team that rushed towards them seemed to have plunged into the abyss. Except for a small number of defeated people, the lives of the other knights were almost lost in a charge.

Now, almost half of the northwest has been shocked by this news.

The 100,000-strong army of the King of Xixia is advancing in this direction. It seems to be steady, but in fact it is somewhat reluctant.

People are afraid of the unknown.

When Zhong Lie, who was far away in Huanzhou, heard about this, he didn't know what his expression would be. There were only a few thousand Zhong family troops under his command, and they could no longer make a big turmoil. But in the northeast, the Zhe family in Fuzhou

The army has already begun to take action.

On the one hand, they once again sent people to confirm this news that was like a fantasy. On the other hand, they organized the army to prepare for the situation. At the same time, they also sent out envoys to rush to the Xiaocang River in the mountains at night and night. These things were discussed by the Black Flag Army stationed in Dong Zhiyuan.

We don't know yet, and the advancing Xixia army doesn't know either, but even if we know, it's not the most important thing right now.

The most important thing is the movement of this black flag army.

With 10,000 troops, they were forced out of the mountains and defeated Yanzhou in less than two days. Then they immediately turned westward and destroyed the Iron Harriers in the first battle. No matter how strong the soldiers were, they would suffer battle losses and suffer physical and mental fatigue. If they turned around

It is normal to run away or send an envoy to negotiate, but the problem is that neither of these two clues have appeared now.

Thinking about it in the craziest direction, it is not impossible for this army to stop resting and thrust into the center of the 100,000-strong army.

This possibility is frightening.

A few miles away, there was the scene of the last battle in Dong Zhiyuan. The remaining corpses had turned into a horrific rotting hell under the exposure of the summer sun. Here, in the mountain gaps, the Black Flag Army had been stationed for four days to repair.

To outside observers, they are as quiet and silent as giant beasts. But inside the station, the lightly wounded soldiers have generally recovered after training, and the more seriously injured soldiers have also regained their ability to move. Every day, the soldiers still have appropriate activities.

The laborers went nearby to chop wood, light fires, cut and smoke horse meat.

Of the 2,700 iron kites, less than half died in direct combat on the battlefield. Later, two to three hundred knights ran away, and nearly 500 knights survived after surrendering. The rest either faced each other on the battlefield or in the

They were killed one by one when clearing the battlefield. Few war horses died, but many were injured, and most of the ones that could be saved were saved. The iron kites rode all good horses, burly and tall, some could be ridden directly, and some were even slightly injured.

, after being raised, they could be used to carry things, and they were dead. Many of the horses were cut down on the spot and dragged in, leaving them with various injuries and suffering for several days. In these four days, they were killed one by one.

The five hundred people who surrendered were also forced to perform the butcher's work. These people could become iron kites, most of them were party nobles, and they would be with the war horses all their lives. When it came time to pick up a sharp knife to kill the war horses, many of them were unable to do so.

Those who were unable to do anything were cut down with a knife. There were also those who resisted and were also chopped to the ground.

Even if soldiers whose military morale has been broken and their courage has become cold, they can pick up a sword to resist. If they are prepared, the threat is limited. There are not many such resisters. The soldiers of the Black Flag Army are not kind-hearted at the moment.

How the soldiers of Xixia treated the people in the northwest are not only spread in the words of propagandists these days. They came all the way and it was time. The burned villages and the people who were forced to harvest wheat were displayed and hung on the roadside.

Corpses or bones on the tree. After seeing these things with my own eyes, I could only say a few words to the prisoners of the Xixia army.

Dare to resist. Very good, then we will fight to the death!

And these prisoners also felt this determination. It was determination, not fanaticism. Over the past few days, most of the soldiers in the entire station seemed to be killing horses, and their daily diet was horse meat, but they really

What he did was not that, but: kill the kites and eat their horses.

As for the next step, the soldiers of the Black Flag Army also discussed it, but it became more formal today. Because the higher-ups wanted to unify everyone's opinions. Before the Xixia army arrived, it was decided whether everyone wanted to fight or not.

I wanted to stay, discuss and come up with a resolution. After the news came, many people were surprised.

For example, after receiving the news, Hou Wu, who was smelling of blood from handling horse meat that day, was stunned for a moment: "I thought we were waiting here to beat Li Qianshun, why are we still discussing it?"

"Yes." Mao Yishan and others also nodded stupidly.

"Why don't we discuss it?" Battalion Commander Xu Lingming frowned at the front, "Li Qianshun's 100,000 troops will arrive in two days. It's not that we are afraid of him. But we did suffer losses in the two battles against Yanzhou and the Iron Kites. Now we have 7,000

Against 100,000 people, you can't just rush over arrogantly! It's better to fight or to leave. Even if you leave, our Chinese army has already become famous all over the world after these two battles and is not ashamed! If we want to fight, how will we fight?

"Whether you still want to fight, whether your will is firm enough, and whether your body can bear it, the higher-ups have to know, and your own stance is the most pragmatic! Each squad, company, and platoon must unify their opinions tonight, and then the higher-ups will make a decision."

"Of course we have to fight." A platoon leader came out with his hands raised, "I have something to say, everyone."

"Crazy Luo, you have something to say later! Don't come and cause trouble at this time!" Xu Lingming slapped the young general named Luo Ye away, "Also, if you have something to say, you can discuss it, and you are not allowed to force your ideas.

If you press it on someone else’s head, crazy Luo, please pay attention to me.”

Soon after, the entire military camp became lively.

More than thirty miles away from here, the advance of a hundred thousand troops, the alarming smoke and dust covered the sky, and the banners spreading in front and back could not be seen from the avenue at a glance.

Most of the troops accompanying the formation this time were elite soldiers from the Xixia Kingdom, including Bu Bu who was good at walking on mountain roads, swarms of strong crossbow troops, Po Xi who controlled slinging equipment, and the powerful capture troops, and

The Iron Harriers were generally composed of thousands of Forbidden Army garrison composed of noble children, as well as a small number of light and heavy elite cavalry, guarding the tent of Li Qianshun's Chinese army. Such a majestic formation alone was enough to boost the morale of the soldiers inside.

The various tribal leaders who make up the Xixia high-level leaders also followed the army this time. The existence of Tie Yaozi and the survival of Xixia represent the interests of all of them. If this sudden army cannot be crushed in front of the army, This time the whole country goes south, it will become meaningless, everything that is swallowed in the mouth will be squeezed out.

No one can tolerate such a thing.

"The other side is coming menacingly. Although their troops are less than ten thousand, their combat power is extremely high and cannot be underestimated. If the other side is still scheming and wants to negotiate, we can negotiate first. But if we want to fight, in terms of the art of war, fight fast and fight slow. , use less to hit more, and the opponent will definitely charge the king's flag!"

During the two-day military strategy meeting, General Asha dared to speculate on the opponent's actions. Xixia King Li Qianshun gritted his teeth.

"Seven thousand people are fighting against one hundred thousand of me. If they still dare to attack me and fall into the formation, it won't matter if I just pick them up!"

"Your Majesty is brave and brave, and I will admire you. But the art of war is to use the strong to attack the weak. Your Majesty is the lord of Xixia, and you should not be easily suspected. This army came out of the mountains and made many strange plans during the two battles. We cannot take it lightly. , once they engage in battle, it is time to use their superior strength to expend their energy and see if they have any back-ups. If the other party does not come up with a clever plan, our army is ten times theirs, so we can naturally defeat the opponent easily. If there is a clever plan, our side can easily defeat them. He is not afraid of an army of 100,000 people. Therefore, the general advises that once a battle occurs, one should not advance rashly, but should only be conservative. After all, the iron kite has learned from his mistakes."

If Asha dares to say no, it will somewhat inflate the other party's ambition and destroy his prestige. But this is just a high-level discussion, and there is the case of Iron Kitten before him. His words also represent the views of many people. Therefore, even if he feels aggrieved, the closer he gets to the black The defense of the Banner Army and Xixia camp became more and more tight. At night, the lights of the guarded camp stretched out layer by layer, like a huge fortress with stars holding the moon, and the atmosphere was extremely solemn.

That night, no messenger of negotiation was received, and many people knew that things were embarrassing.

At this time, thousands of miles away in Jiangning, there was a peaceful scene in the streets, and many high-level political leaders had already taken action: Prince Kang's Mansion will be heading north in the next two days.

As far as the capital is concerned, accompanying Yingying Tianfu at this time is obviously a better choice than Jiangning. Even if the Jurchens have already beaten the north of the Yellow River into a sieve, after all, they have not officially occupied it. There is no way that the new emperor of the Wu Dynasty will have to do it as soon as he ascends the throne. Throw away everything north of the Yellow River and even north of the Yangtze River.

The slaves have not digested the large amount of wealth that the Jurchens collected in the previous two wars. Now the new regime has eliminated the "Seven Tigers". If the new emperor and new officials can cheer up, it is not impossible to resist the Jurchens and regain the lost territory in the future.

Of course, it was not just Kang Wang Zhou Yong, the idle prince in the past, who really decided to place the core of the political power in Yingtian. It was also the many forces behind the original Kang Prince's palace that pushed this step forward in a powerful way.

The will of the Chengguo Princess Mansion was the core part of it. During this period, officials such as Qin Hui, Huang Qianshan, Wang Boyan, etc. who came south to welcome the new emperor repeatedly lobbied Zhou Xuan, Kang Xian and others, and finally finalized the matter. Of course , there are also people who cannot understand such things.

"Ding Ying Tian, ​​I simply can't figure out why we should Ding Ying Tian. Grandpa Kang, here, you can come out to do things, and the imperial sister can come out to do things. What will happen if you go to Ying Tian? Who can't see it? Those high-ranking officials, their roots and clans are all in the north. They can't let go of things in the north. The most important thing is that they don't want the officials in the south to rise up. I have already seen clearly the intrigues between them. In recent times, Jiangning is just a pool of muddy water!"

Jun Wu, who was about to become the prince, was talking loudly in Kang Xian's room, filled with righteous indignation. Kang Xian, whose hair had turned white but still had clear eyes, sat on a chair and looked at him, took a sip of tea and listened to his shouting.

"I really have nothing to say about serving the country and the people. The country is about to perish, and everyone is scrambling for it. Are you considering whether you should have the final say and leave the country to them? That Qin Hui seems to be upright and upright, and I think he is not a good person.

!Grandpa Kang, I don’t understand. Moreover,” the young man lowered his voice, “Furthermore, Ning Ningyi said that within three years, everything north of the Yangtze River will be gone. At this moment, it is even more important to withdraw to the south.

My workshop is also here. I don't want to go to Yingtian to build another one. Grandpa Kang, I can already make that Kongming Lantern fly, but it's just not enough to carry people."

"I think you do it just for your workshop." Kang Xian smiled and pondered for a moment, "You are still young and smart, but you should have heard the truth that when the water is clear, there are no fish, and when people are careful, there are no disciples. These things

Of course, high officials have their own interests behind their backs. People north of the Yangtze River and people north of the Yellow River, of course, also have their own interests. For these interests, that is, for this country. The same is true for high officials. Speaking of interests does not represent

Those who are treacherous ministers and do not care about interests may be the real problem."

The old man poured a cup of tea: "The Wu Dynasty traveled thousands of miles from north to south, and the benefits were great and small. Wheat was planted in an acre of field south of Yanmen Pass. That is the wheat of my Wu Dynasty. This is the wheat of the Wu Dynasty.

, Maizi is also the Wu Dynasty. The farmers who grew wheat there had their wheat robbed, their homes burned, and his Wu Dynasty was gone. How can you say that he was doing it for Maizi, but not for me, Wu Dynasty?

It is the same for both officials and the people, wherever their home is, that is where they are. If they really don’t want anything and it doesn’t matter, then the Wu Dynasty will naturally not matter to him either.”

"You work for the workshop, others work for the wheat, and the official works for his family in the north. It's all a good thing. But what I'm afraid of is being blindfolded." The old man stood up, handed him the tea cup, and his eyes became serious. "You

Since you want to be a prince or even a king in the future, you must not be short-sighted. It is difficult to defend north of the Yellow River. Anyone can abandon it and flee south. Only the emperor cannot. That is half of the country. You cannot abandon it. You are a member of the Zhou family

, we must do our best to guard it until the last moment."

"If we can't hold it, are we going to die?"

"I haven't done it yet. How can there be any absolute thing!?" Kang Xian glared at him, "If there is another incident in Bianliang, we can escape then, but as long as there is still a glimmer of possibility, we will naturally do our best.

.You said to your master, has he ever complained about so many things? He still blocked the Jurchens’ first attack on the city. He said that the north of the Yangtze River fell, but that is not inevitable, it is just a possible speculation.

That’s all.”

This is the first time Kang Xian mentioned Ning Yi in front of Jun Wu recently. Jun Wu became happy: "Well, Grandpa Kang, tell me, if I really become the emperor in the future, will it be possible for him to be my master again?"

"Shut up!" Kang Xian scolded, "If you mention it today, don't mention it tomorrow. He committed regicide and made the world a common enemy. It is impossible for people named Zhou to reconcile with him! If you reveal this in front of others tomorrow,

Such thoughts are not suitable for the prince!"

"I haven't said it yet"

"I don't know about you kid yet." Kang Xian looked at him and sighed, then his face brightened a little, and he stretched out his hand and patted his shoulder, "Junwu, you are a smart kid, you have been smart since you were a child.

, It's a pity that I didn't expect you to become a prince earlier, and I learned some things a little late. However, if you read more and think more, and be careful in your words and deeds, you can see clearly. You want to stay in Jiangning, for your workshop, and for

The Chengguo Princess Mansion has a strong influence in the south and thinks it is easy to do things. You still want to take shelter under the eaves of the Princess Mansion, but in fact, you have become the prince."

"When you become a prince, you have to become a roof for others and let others take shelter from the rain. You said that these officials are all for their own interests, which is true, but you are the prince and will be the emperor in the future. Dealing with them is your problem.

.There are some problems in this world that can be avoided, and there are some problems that cannot be solved. Your master, he never complains. The situation is difficult, but he still defeated the resentful army in Xia Village. He narrowly escaped death. In the end, the road was blocked. He killed the emperor with one sword.

The emperor was in trouble afterwards, but he went directly to the northwest. In the current situation, he was surrounded by the north and the south in the mountains, but Grandpa Kang bets you that he will not sit still and wait for death. Soon, he will take action. No matter how narrow the road is,

You can only walk, but if you can't get out, you will die. It's that simple."

"You will become a prince or an emperor in the future. If you can't succeed, how can you still kill yourself? The officials will fight with you, the common people will fight with you, and the Kingdom of Jin will fight with you. If you can't beat you, you will just die.

.Before you die, you have to do your best. If you say that the officials are bad, try to make them better. If they are in the way, try to make them do their jobs. If they are really annoying, kill them one by one and make them bloody.
To be continued...