Chapter 214 Undercurrent
Rust, rustle...
Slender lines of rain connect the sky and the earth. Countless people fleeing from the war sat under the eaves of the street, watching the rain fall with panic.
Rainwater and mud mixed with the potholes on the ground. Pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages passed by in a hurry. A burly man wearing a bamboo hat and coarse cloth walked into a nearby inn. There were not as many people inside as usual, and there were only one or two tables. When the customer and the shopkeeper saw the man coming in, he quickly asked the waiter to come over and entertain him.
After ordering some food, the man sat down at a nearby empty table.
The rain outside was getting heavier and heavier. Amidst the patter of rain, several children ran past the door of the inn with wooden sticks as weapons, playing and shouting: "Beat Yan Jun... Defeat Yan Jun."
Then he was driven away by the waiter waving a rag.
In the inn, two tables of guests were talking indistinctly.
“Ninety thousand people...are fighting like this...”
“No...they are not fighting, they are clearly going to die.”
"I can be a general, but who can't die!"
Luyang is the capital of the Central Plains, with a population of millions. When the news of the defeat spread, you can hear such market remarks everywhere. Most people They felt uneasy, feeling that a huge crisis was approaching from the north, making it difficult for them to breathe.
But some people don’t quite believe that this is true news. After all, neither the government nor the court has issued any official statement.
Before, the bachelors, gentry, and scholars who gathered in restaurants and chatted with the waiters and talked nonsense, two days after the news came, it seemed as if someone had slapped them hard in the face, and their voices were silenced.
But as the news of the defeat became more detailed, another voice came out. Unlike before, they still remained optimistic.
"...Brother Wang Long'en, both with wine and food, ran outside to form a formation at night and were charged to death by the cavalry. They deserved it."
"Both of them are veterans on the battlefield, how could they make such a mistake? But it's okay. Ninety thousand soldiers and horses were defeated without any damage. There are still 310,000 soldiers and horses outside Luyang City. "
"The Qi and Liang Kingdoms in the northwest have been fighting with the barbarians all year round. The cavalry should not be defeated by the Yan Kingdom's traitors!" br>
The government did not stop such remarks and allowed them to ferment in the city, which did have some effect. It not only made the people feel more at ease, but also made many people in the city share the same hatred with the court.
At the same time, the government took the opportunity to publicize the brutality of the Yan people, tortured defeated prisoners and corpses, and promoted the massacre of Guangfu...
However, in this process, following the previous strategy of fortifying the wall and clearing the country, all the food outside Luyang City was put into the official warehouse, and it had to supply the daily needs of the 310,000 troops. The official warehouse tightened the grain, and the prices of private food and vegetables Gradually climb.
It seems to be relatively stable at the moment, but the supervisor in charge of the market in the government office has begun to worry that if the war drags on for two or three months, the people in the city may have no food to eat, even if there is... …can’t even afford it.
At this time, in the inn, the man in the bamboo hat ate for a while, then asked the waiter to make another portion, and asked him to pack it up and take it away. After leaving the inn, he returned directly along the way he came from, crossing two streets. He walked down the alley and came to the outside of a small courtyard. He jumped up, stepped on the wall, and reached the inner courtyard.
The courtyard is not big. When I heard the noise, someone opened the door slightly to reveal a gap. He glanced outside and then opened the door completely to let the man in.
“Come over and eat.”
"Commander Pei, what's going on outside?" Four masters from the Embroidery Department came over, all trained by Pei Min. There was another person lying on the bed, with injuries to his waist, ribs, and abdomen. Recently, the city's inspection of the Embroidery Department had become more and more strict. During the assassination a few days ago, he was injured by a master from the Qianlong Mansion who was ambushing him.
Pei Min took off his bamboo hat, took a piece of steamed bun, broke it in half, handed it to his subordinate lying on the bed, put the other half to his mouth, bit it, and sat on the edge of the bed.
"The news is confirmed. King Xia's cavalry did defeat 90,000 Wei soldiers and horses in Linqiu area."
"Good fight!" The four people eating couldn't help but cheer. Even the injured man lying on the bed grinned.
"A total of ten people from the Embroidery Department came here, and now there are only five of you left. Now that King Xia is fighting with the Wei army outside the city, we don't need to assassinate anymore. We can lurk for the time being and save our lives first."< br>
Pei Min is not as simple as an ordinary Jianghu man. He has also been a general, and he will assess the situation. King Xia's troops are hundreds of miles away, and there are also embroidery departments and military scouts there. He is no longer needed, let alone Even if there is important news, it cannot be delivered, and the lives of his men will be in vain.
"Everyone will stay in the courtyard during this period. We will take turns to go out to buy food. Next time we go out, remember to buy more. I guess the price of food in the city will increase soon."
"Also pay attention to the people in Qianlong Mansion, they should still be watching secretly. Be especially careful about the master from the past few days."
What Pei Min warned is indeed true. At this time, the streets and alleys in the city, Looking around more, paying attention to the figures of pedestrians around him, Xiao Motuo sat on the second floor of a teahouse, drinking tea slowly, looking at the passers-by in the rain with some trance.
I originally thought that when I entered Qianlong Mansion, I would rely on my own ability and learn from my master to step up to the court step by step. However, he does have this ability. Over this period of time, he has been among the people in Qianlong Mansion. He stood out among the masters and was appreciated by the master of the palace.
But before he could be happy for long, the news of the defeat of the 90,000-strong army outside the city came, washing away the joy in his heart. The 400,000-strong army not only refused to retreat, but also fought desperately to kill them. It was simply a hysterical beast.
Xiao Mochu felt a trace of fear in his heart.
‘I hope this guy can be surrounded and killed by the Wei army in this battle... don’t let him live anymore! ’
He raised his eyes and looked at the majestic imperial city in the distance outside the building. There, the emperor, who seemed calm in the court, retreated left and right after retreating from the court, smashed the study room, and became furious.
"You don't know how to seize the opportunity...you made a mistake in judgment...why did I let you be the governor of two states and lead the army!"
"My 90,000 people... are not 90,000 beasts!"
< br>"Two damn useless things, it's a good thing that you died in the battle, otherwise I would have used your heads to apologize to the three armies!"
After a long time, he came out of the room as if nothing was wrong, and walked into the Huaiguang Hall. , he summoned the chief generals of Wu and Yue, as well as the generals of Sui and Qingzhou, and the emperor's uncle Zhao Guangshi here to discuss all matters regarding sending troops.
In the main hall, there were also messengers from Qi and Liang. They arrived in Luyang yesterday. At present, everyone agreed on a time for the army to encircle, and the messenger returned to the northwest of Yangzhou.
……
The last day of June.
The cavalry formations were neatly arranged, and the queues were quiet and solemn. Surrounded by a group of Wei soldiers who had taken away their weapons and stripped off their armor, they followed the cavalry slowly with their heads drooped.
The direction they were going was Guangfu City where the Yan army was stationed.
Of the 90,000 soldiers and horses, only more than 8,000 people were accepted and became prisoners. Most of the Wei soldiers were killed and their corpses littered the fields, and only a small part escaped into the nearby hills.
These more than 8,000 prisoners did not dare to think about their future fate.
The army was still on its way back. Su Chen, who came out of the county government, was dressed in military uniform on horseback and went outside the city to greet the victorious generals.
On the long street passing by, a pair of eyes looked down from a certain building.
A long line of troops was passing by here, with flags standing everywhere and soldiers clearing the way. There was a ferocious smell of rust. The people and pedestrians on the road retreated to the street in fear and lowered their heads.
In the afternoon sunshine, yesterday’s rainwater still hung on the streets and eaves. Above the long street, there was a sound of tiles rattling. Among the marching team, the tall man tilted his head slightly. In the peripheral vision, , a figure rushed out of the roof, jumped up, and a cold light traced a long trajectory from the hand.
A spear was thrust towards the figure on horseback——
The next moment, the spear body was directly grabbed by someone.
Beside the black war horse was Li Xuanba, who was fully armored. He held the spear with one hand and broke it lightly. The handle under the spearhead snapped. Then he flicked his hand and killed the assassin. Throw it to the ground and roll around a few times.
Su Chen turned his head and glanced, his voice was cold and indifferent: "Execution."
Hearing the order, several soldiers around who were suppressing the opponent started to attack, stabbing him with several long halberds. Break his chest and belly.
This is already the seventh assassination.
"...I remember when I was stationed here, there were no spies from Qianlong Mansion. How come they appear more and more frequently recently." Su Chen said this to Dian Wei on horseback. , which made him a little annoyed.
"The city gates are strictly guarded. The people in the city are basically banned from entering the city, and people from outside are also prohibited from entering the city. It is impossible to come in through the city gate!"
Dian Wei shook his head, As a member of the Central Guards, the recent frequent assassinations also made him feel quite irritated. These people had some martial arts skills, but they were not much higher, but they pounced on them from time to time like caterpillars.
“Authentic!”
Looking at the figures with their heads hanging down on the streets around him, Su Chen narrowed his eyes and called Wu Zixun, "Take the soldiers to search door to door in the city. Start with all the buildings close to the city wall and find the entrance to a secret passage. Guard the opening and come out to kill one by one! "
Wu Zixun took the order and turned around and ran away. The marching team gradually left the city gate. In the distance, he saw , the cavalry has returned first.
(End of this chapter)