Chapter 3559: Sympathy
Jiangui Ridge is located in the north of the Weishui River, with two ridges and two peaks facing each other, shaped like an arrow. This place is surrounded by mountains and water and has a superior terrain. It is the place where Emperor Yan lived and the Zhou Dynasty began. The tiger sits on the dragon's plate, hiding the wind and gathering water.
……
The mountains blocked the cold wind blowing from the north, and the snowflakes fell leisurely. The large land plateau under the mountains was occupied by densely packed camps. Because it was a leeward slope, it was not very cold. Many soldiers came and went. , detectives and detectives patrolled back and forth.
In a large tent at the foot of the mountain, Chai Zhewei, dressed in military uniform, sat behind a desk, reading the battle report in his hand attentively.
In the past, he was a handsome and handsome boy from an aristocratic family, but now he has a knotted beard, a weathered face, and a deep "Chuan" between his eyebrows
"The character pattern is as deep as a knife and an axe, full of fatigue and anxiety.
It has been more than two months since we launched the army to attack Youtunwei that day, but my whole body seems to have aged twenty years...
Putting down the battle report in his hand, he rubbed his hands that were almost frozen, and asked the soldier to make a pot of hot tea. He drank a few sips, and then the coldness in his body was dissipated.
That day when we attacked Youtunwei, we never expected to be defeated so quickly and so miserably. We suffered heavy losses under the bombardment of Youtunwei's firearms. We were then charged and killed by armored cavalry, and we were immediately defeated. . All the way to the other side of the Wei River, they retreated and were pursued by the Youtun Guards, resulting in the loss of a large amount of food and supplies.
Although the Right Guards had the heavy responsibility of guarding the Xuanwu Gate and did not dare to let the pursuit go, which gave the Left Guards a chance to breathe, they were severely lacking in supplies and living a difficult life.
Due to the lack of charcoal for heating, this handsome tent was bitingly cold and dripping water turned into ice...
With a sigh, Chai Zhewei put down his tea cup, stood up and walked to the map on the wall to carefully observe the current situation in Guanzhong. The violent spirit at the beginning of the defeat had long been wiped out by these difficult circumstances, and was replaced by deep regret and helplessness.
At the beginning of the army, the momentum of overwhelming the world and the left and right courts has long since disappeared...
The door curtain was lifted from the outside, and a gust of wind and snow swept in, making the papers on the desk rattle. Chai Zhewei frowned and turned back, intending to scold him, but when he saw Jing Wang Li Yuanjing, who was also looking tired, he finally got to the point where he said it He swallowed back his words of rebuke.
The complaints at the time of the defeat have long been extinguished, and the reason why we have reached the current situation cannot be blamed on others. What's more, Li Yuanjing's situation can only be worse than him. After all, he is still the commander-in-chief and has troops in his hands. As long as Donggong and Guanlong don't want to start a civil war that affects the whole country, they will not completely force him into a desperate situation.
But Li Yuanjing is different. As a member of the clan coveting the throne, this is a complete conspiracy. No matter whether the final winner is Donggong or Guanlong, Li Yuanjing will not be tolerated.
We are both fallen people at the end of the world...
Li Yuanjing entered, shook the falling snow off his shoulders, took off his cloak and threw it aside, sat down in front of the desk, and sighed with a sad face.
Chai Zhewei held the pot and poured tea for him, and then asked: "There is still no news about the family members?"
Li Yuanjing took the tea cup and did not drink it. Instead, he held it in his hand to warm it and nodded anxiously. Ever since he led his army to the outside of Xuanwu Gate that day and joined Zuo Tunwei to attack Xuanwu Gate, and then fled all the way here after being defeated, he lost contact with the palace in Chang'an City.
Although Guanlong besieged Chang'an City, Chai Zhewei had some connections within Guanlong, and Li Yuanjing himself was a prince of the imperial court, so the news was not closed off. However, he sent people into the city many times to inquire, but there was no news about Prince Jing's residence, which made Li Yuanjing deeply uneasy.
Chai Zhewei frowned, not knowing how to comfort him.
In such a dangerous situation, being unable to contact us for two consecutive months can actually explain a lot of problems...
But right now, that's not the most important thing.
“I wonder what the prince’s plans are for the future?”
With the defeat at this point, I no longer dare to hope for a bright future. My wealth and life are the most important thing. Once the East Palace turns defeat into victory, neither Li Yuanjing nor Chai Zhewei will die without a burial place. Even if Guan Long wins in the end, it may be difficult for the two of them to end well.
Who would have thought that an attack that was originally a sure bet would end up like this? Even if he had responded to Changsun Wuji's solicitation at the beginning, even if he was defeated, he would still have Guanlong to back him up. Why was he so desperate now?
Every time I think about it, Chai Zhewei’s intestines almost turn green...
Li Yuanjing's situation was even more dangerous than his own. When he first launched the army, many princes, princes, and kings all supported him openly and covertly, some of whom did not support others, and others contributed. But now that the army has been defeated like a mountain, those people are probably trying to conquer him. Push it out to pay for your sins.
The way to survive is almost cut off...
After pondering for a long time, Li Yuanjing said lonelyly: "As long as I pick up my wife, concubines and children, I will lead my army from Xiaoguan to the north and go straight to Mobei. If the imperial court leaves a chance to survive, it will find a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters to end this remaining life. If the imperial court If you are in hot pursuit, then you will join the Turks and become a traitor to the Han family."
The Li family in Longxi has some Hu ethnic origin, but to this day, they have long regarded themselves as Han Chinese, and they have always treated the Longsun family members with pure Hu ethnic origin, such as Changsun, Doulu, Helan, Yuan, etc., as aliens.
Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, the sons of the Han family have regarded committing themselves to the Hu people as a great shame and humiliation. Now Li Yuanjing has to embark on this road of no return, allowing his descendants to drink blood and wander outside the Great Wall, and return to China in who knows what year...
Chai Zhewei sighed in his heart and shook his head slightly. If this was really the case, it would not be much worse than death. He could not help but feel the sadness of a rabbit dying and a fox dying in his heart. He relied on the fact that he was the son of Princess Pingyang Zhao. His mother had made great contributions to the empire and the family. He hoped that this would save him from death. Otherwise, he might have to go north hand in hand with Li Yuanjing, and his body would be stained with fishy smell and his hair would be disheveled from now on.
Just as he was about to discuss what to do next, he saw You Wenzhi coming in from the outside and approaching in a few steps. He looked faintly excited and said quickly: "Commander, Your Majesty, Guan Long has sent someone!"
"Oh?!"
Chai Zhewei perked up and asked hurriedly: "Who is coming, and whose order is it?"
The identity of the visitor can reflect the importance Guan Long attaches to him; who sent the visitor can also foreshadow his future.
You Wenzhi said: "It's Shangshu Zuocheng Yuwenjie, saying that he came on the order of Duke Zhao!"
"Great!"
Chai Zhewei is so excited that he can’t help but believe that there is no end to the road! In the final analysis, his family background and the remaining 20,000 soldiers and horses in his hands still have some value, and they are worthy of Changsun Wuji's win over.
He hurriedly said: "Please come quickly!"
In the excitement, I actually forgot to ask Li Yuanjing for advice...
However, Li Yuanjing didn't care about this. Changsun Wuji attracted Chai Zhewei because he was still valuable, but he was just a defeated prince and was destined to be accused of treason. Who would accept such a rebellious criminal?
……
A moment later, Yu Wenjie, dressed in official uniform, quickly walked in, stepped forward to salute, and said, "I have met His Royal Highness King Jing and Duke Qiao."
Chai Zhewei suppressed his excitement and said politely: "No courtesy, no courtesy, brother Yuwen, please take a seat quickly."
Yu Wenjie did not sit down, but took out the seal of Changsun Wuji from his arms, and handed it to Chai Zhewei with both hands for inspection. After Chai Zhewei checked that it was correct, he slowly put the seal away, then sat on the chair beside him, turned slightly sideways, and held the ceremony very respectfully. : "The situation is critical, and I won't say polite words to you, let's get straight to the point."
Chai Zhewei sat upright: "Brother Yuwen, please speak."
Yu Wenjie glanced at Li Yuanjing, who had been silent, and then said slowly: "Duke Zhao has something to say. Duke Qiao is of the Guanlong line. He only needs to resist Fang Jun for three days, and he can return to Chang'an regardless of victory or defeat. , Duke Zhao will protect your country’s dukedom!”
Chai Zhewei was heartbroken.
If the thing he cares about most when he is at the end of his rope is not his own life, but the title of "Duke Qiao"! Although this was a title awarded by his father, Chai Shao, it was actually a reward for his mother, Princess Pingyang Zhao. If it was taken away from him, Chai Zhewei, how could he have the dignity to go see his mother underground?
As long as the dukedom of this country can be kept, he doesn't care about anything and can sacrifice anything!
However, the excitement finally calmed down, and doubts arose in my mind, and I wondered: "Resist Fang Jun for three days... What does this mean? Fang Jun is far away in the Western Regions, fighting fierce battles with the cannibals. Could it be that Duke Zhao wants me to go on an expedition?" The Western Region? This is a bit troublesome. Not only because I am unwilling to contribute, but also because my troops have suffered a defeat, their morale is low, and their weapons and equipment have suffered heavy losses. It is difficult to make the trip for a while. "
Li Yuanjing, who had been indifferent before, reacted and said in shock: "Could it be Fang Jun who's back?"
Chai Zhewei was startled when he heard this, and lost his voice: "How is it possible?"
Yu Wenjie sighed: "What the prince said is true. Fang Jun has personally led tens of thousands of cavalry and traveled thousands of miles to rescue the pass. Xiao Pass fell not long ago, and maybe he will appear here in the next moment."
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"Bang!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chai Zhewei stood up suddenly in fright and accidentally knocked over the tea cup on the desk.
But I was already frightened to death by the Youtun Guards. Now I suddenly heard that Fang Junchi came to Guanzhong and brought half of the Youtun Guards under his command. I was almost scared to death...(End of Chapter)