Chapter 14 Counterplot

The gates closed behind me. With the spear in the saddle, my heart still throbbed.

Even if I'm not afraid of snakes, I'm afraid of snakes. When I entered the city, I felt even more frightened. I took 300 men and rushed out to face the Serpents. If the Serpents were to surge in support and the Longscale army were to be destroyed, the city would be destroyed immediately if the Serpents were to rush into the city.

I jumped off my horse, and a Longscale soldier led my horse away. I shouted to the head of the city: "Did the snake man attack?"

One of the soldiers poked his head over the tower and said, "The serpents have gone back. They have not attacked the city."

My heart is like the removal of the great stone, and then came a burst of joy. The snakes didn't know there was such a man as Zheng Zhao, so they didn't care too much when we took a prisoner. They pay more attention to Xue Wenyi's untethered kite.

Just think of Xue Wen also, Xue Wen has been in the loud way: "General Chu! General Chu!"

He rarely shouts that loud. Xue Wen also came back at the same time as Yu Dai. He screamed so urgently. Could it be that the Snake people swallowed him when they resisted? It would be a joke if the snake people ate him in the city after we got him back.

I ran as fast as I could, and when I reached the camp of the Dragonscale Army, I saw at first sight a line of men holding down a Snake-man on the ground. The snake man stood almost as tall as a man, and when he pressed it straight, he found that it would take more than twenty men to hold it down. The snake man was always about two feet tall, head and tail.

Xue Wen was also standing next to the snake man. He probably came not long ago. As soon as he saw me, he came up to me with a happy face and said, "General Chu, I have succeeded! It's done!"

He barked ecstatically, almost like a child in possession of the object of his dreams. I said, "Is it your flying kite?"

"It's not a kite, it's a flying machine!"

He had come up to me, Shouting, 'It's an aeroplane! A machine for flying! I finally made it!"

He heard ecstatic, but I still lightly, way: "Fly is but fly, but still fell down."

"I didn't think it through. It seems that the wind direction in the air is very disorderly. If the wind is in one direction, I can land at the city head."

I didn't have time to listen to his nonsense now, and said, "Xue Gongzheng, you should not go out of your way again. You know, Yue Guohua, the current general, just arrived here and hasn't been angry yet. Today, you flew out of the city without permission.

He seemed to have been swallowed by me and could not speak. I didn't want to listen to him any more. "Xue Gongzheng," I said, "You should go back and think about everything. But when you try out your plane later, don't forget that you can't fly to the side of the snake people's camp."

Xue Wen will also say, I have hurried up the wall. Zheng Zhao was still on the wall. When he saw me, he hurried over and said, "General Chu, do you want me to read the snake man's mind?"

I smiled and said, "You don't have to read your mind to guess my mind."

"But"

When he hesitated, I said, "Mr. Zheng, is it any trouble? Does it take a lot of effort?"

"That's not a problem," he thought. "Only, General Chu, don't let anyone know that I can read minds."

I nodded and said, "That's easy. I will put the captured snake man in my tent, and you will continue to practice your arts as if you were in the prince's tent. No one will see you."

In my account, I still have the small compartment where the white myrtle Polygonum used to live. I think it is just right for Zheng Zhao to go in.

"That's good," he said. But when I have done this, I am going to the City of Five Goats."

I looked at him, and there was an eager look in his eyes. He found out from me the whereabouts of white Wei, must be very want to meet white Wei. I said, "Of course, I can give you a horse. When are you going?"

"As soon as you've done this."

I was taken aback, said: "So urgent? Does General Lu agree?"

With a wry smile, he said, "General Lu promised me he could leave at any time, as long as he didn't fight the Imperial Army. But my trivial skills are not of great use in battle, and the general thinks highly of me."

I couldn't help but be silent. I probably know what a man is like. He had compassion and would probably allow Zheng Zhao to leave. I reached out my hand, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "OK, we'll go right away."

I took him into my tent, which was also empty. I let Zheng Zhao get settled in the cubicle and went out of my tent. Almost everyone in the Dragon Scale Army was outside watching the captured snake man. Although he was closer to the snake man in battle, this is the first time that a snake man has been captured alive. The snake man was tied to a flagpole, which was so long that it was tied in a spiral like a child's stick of candy. There were a lot of people around it, and some Rightists were crowding around to see it.

I approached the large group and called, "General King."

In the crowd, Jin Qianshi squeezed out, way: "Leader."

"Bring the snake man into my tent," I said. "We will examine him."

"But the snake man doesn't seem to be able to say a word or two."

I smiled and said, "You can always ask me something."

This is just a perfunctory, Jin Qianshi is a little baffling, he must think I really a little enigmatic.

Five or six soldiers carried the snake man in. The snake man was still about seven feet high, about the same height as a tall man. Jin Qianshi commanded the soldiers carried in, Wu Wanling and Yu followed in. Just in the middle of the tent, I said, "Wait, put it there."

I pointed to the compartment. That compartment is actually just a small tent, Jin Qianshi said: "Want to put in?"

"No, just put it on the wall."

"General King," I said, "Let's interrogate."

Wu Wanling chimed in, "Governor, we asked the snake man, and he just said 'you' and 'I' all together. He looked like an idiot. He probably couldn't get anything out of him."

"Try it," I said.

They were surprised that I had gone to so much trouble to bring back such a snake man, and they only told me that I had some strange idea. You know, I do have a trick, but someone else can do it.

I went over to the snake man. The snake man's eyes were covered with a white film, which seemed to make his eyes a little gray. I remember hearing someone say that a snake has no eyelids, and this snake man resembles a snake in many ways, so his eyes must be the same.

I drew my knife, patted the snake man on the head, and said, "Hey, what's your name?"

Jin Qian stone on the side of the strange some could not help. Snake Man has a name. They probably didn't think of it. But I knew the Snake Man had a name, for the chief of the Snake men in the South, who spoke so well, was called Shandu, and he said things like "Baton" and "Fuxi," which were probably the names of the snake men.

I so patted, the snake's eyes on the white film suddenly faded. It seems that the snake man has no eyelids, but this white membrane also has the function of eyelids.

The snake man glanced at me with his dark eyes, and was spitting out a thin red tongue, like a flame from its mouth. After a long pause, he suddenly said in a strange voice, "Sitcha, I."

"Your name is Sitcha?"

"Yes."

I was elated. I guess I can get what I want out of the snake man without mind reading. The snake man, however, could not answer so fluently. He kept asking questions of "yours" and "I am." The snake man did not appear to be a fake, and really did not speak much.

After asking for a long time without a clue, I sighed. Apparently, ask is absolutely ask what come, now Zheng Zhao has finished reading the mind?

I said, "Somebody, take this snake man out.

I let out a deep sigh. The sigh was not entirely artificial, and it was unclear whether Zheng Zhao could read the snake man's mind, but it was useless to ask him myself. I hoped Zheng Zhao would learn something.

He carried out the snake man, and he was gone. Jin Qianshi also sighed as he walked away. He probably thought I ventured out of the city and tried so hard to catch a snake man back. The result was of no use at all.

When I was done, I pushed back the curtain of the compartment. Zheng Zhaozheng sat cross-legged white Wei they slept on the floor, a face of consternation, apparently, must know what. I said, "Mr. Zheng, what have you read?"

Zheng Zhaodao: "Governor, I can't read the snake man's mind."

I did not expect this reply, which was almost exasperated: "What! Don't you understand a word?"

"Sort of. I have no idea what the Snake-man thinks."

I was confused. "But you looked surprised," I said.

"Because," he said, sitting up with one hand, "the snake man thinks in a very similar way to a man. It's almost identical."

"In another language?" I asked.

Zheng Zhao sighed, probably to me this don't understand pretend to understand people laugh. He said: "People do not think mainly in words, that is hard to explain. I had no trouble reading the snake man's mind. Only the snake man is thinking exactly as I have seen a man think."

He spoke calmly, but not unlike a Joule. If the snake man thinks exactly the same thing, he must be related to the snake Man. And Zheng Zhao also said, he has three people's mind can not read out, one of them is high-speed train rush.

I frowned and said, "Gao joined the army?"

'Yes! His left fist slammed into his right palm. "That's the man!"

A chill came over me. Wookeqing told me the other day that he was suspecting someone was a mole, he just didn't have proof. Did he also suspect the high-speed train? However, although it is a grand strategy set by the Wenhou, the concrete implementation of the four will be surrounded by the plan is made by the high-speed railway. If he was the mole, why did he spare no effort to help the Imperial army destroy the city?

Perhaps the Snake and the Republican Army are not related, and the Snake people would prefer to see both the Imperial Army and the Republican Army defeated. However, after the victory of the snake man, how can high-speed iron Chong be sure that the snake man won't be unfavorable to him after the victory?

"That's probably because Gao joins the Army and the Snake people speak the same language. The Snake man speaks the Imperial language. He must have learned it. Perhaps the first language he learned was not the Imperial language, but the language of another race."

Zheng Zhaodao: "General Chu, I have told you that most people can understand whatever they are thinking by mind reading. A man does not think only in words. Do you think everything in words?"

I was a little stunned. This fact is too mysterious, but it is right to think that it has nothing to do with words. Don't illiterate people wonder? It has nothing to do with language, and so can the born deaf and mute. So what does Zheng Zhao mean by "unreadable"? Can't read because the man is too strong, but can't read, don't

I dare not think of it any further. I had a vague feeling that Zheng Zhao was also very upset about not being able to understand this kind of thing, because he had never encountered such a thing. If you can't read it, the explanation, that is, the way you think is completely different from people, so you can't read it. Can think of the way and people are completely different, is the high speed train Chong snake people?

I remember the high-speed train Chong although often sitting in a wheelchair, but also stepped down to the ground. When I first killed the snake man and dragged his body outside the Marquis's tent, it was the high-speed train that came to see him. That's when I saw him walk up to the body of the snake man, definitely two legs.

I can't think about it anymore. Then Zheng Zhao timidly said, "General Chu, can I go now?"

I thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Zheng, all right. By the way, are you sure the snake thinks the same way as the man?"

"Is it Gao who joined the army?" He thought about it. "Not exactly the same, but the way they think about it is very close. There must be some connection. Be like"

He seemed to want to make an analogy. After a pause, he suddenly said, "By the way, General Chu, did you see those trees?"

Most of the trees in the city had been stripped of their bark, the result of the Republican Army's starvation, and looked like a series of grotesque wooden posts. I said, "What's wrong?"

"The trees look completely different, but no matter which one you see, you can tell by looking at the other that it's a tree. That's the way Snake and Gao thought about joining the army."

I sneered and did not answer. Now I have no evidence at hand, of course can not prove that the high-speed train is a mole, even if Zheng Zhao to report to the Marquis, he will never believe. Although I am now very important to the Marquis, but a few things happened in succession to make me in the Marquis's mind greatly reduced status, definitely than the army's first adviser Gao Tiechong.

But he will do something about it.

I went out of the tent and Zheng Zhao followed me. I looked at the rare relaxation of the Dragon Scale army, my heart felt heavy.

The Dragon Scale Army now practiced the rules laid down by Wu Wanling, and the discipline was much better. Because they are young and energetic, they hardly ever stop.

Among them, in a few years, a successor may emerge. Anyway, for our own sake, the priority right now is actually to dig up the mole.

If the mole is so powerful, I just don't understand why he would go to such lengths to do so. All his schemes were very effective. If I were a Marquis, I would not believe that he was a traitor.

It was nearly dusk. Southern Xinjiang at dusk, peaceful and quiet. Blue sky, night half collect, tomorrow is afraid of a fine day. This is very rare in the rainy season, but it is only a rare sunny day. The Serpents had not attacked the city for two days, and were still dispatching from outside the city. They did not know what their plans were, but it was a kind of illusion not to see them.

The smell of the dead in the city had been diluted by the rain. That's an ancient rule, too, that burning a dead body doesn't smell good, but once it decays, it creates miasma, and then it's no small thing. When the Emperor conquered the kingdom, Shi Hu City, the capital of the kingdom of Galo, was besieged for two months in the heat of summer, and there were no deaths in the city. When the city was destroyed, it was known that only a small part of the people died in the battle, and most of them were infected with epidemics and died, so that the Emperor did not dare to enter the city. The famous city was destroyed, and it was not until a hundred years later that Shi Hu City regained its vitality.

There is not much rain in Shihu City, but there is so much rain in Gaohucheng, in southern Xinjiang, that we would not even dare to enter the city if we did not keep burning corpses. In fact, even if we stop attacking the city, the Republicans won't be able to hold it for another month. When the rains come and they don't have the manpower to burn the bodies, there will be a pandemic. Marquis Wu also did not want to let the high Eagle city become a dead city, so he rushed into the city before the rainy season.

Zheng Zhao followed me and said, "General Chu, I'm going now."

I nodded and said, "Well, thank you."

Indeed, Zheng Zhao has helped me a lot. I said: "See white Wei, ask me a good."

Though they had been prisoners, I never seemed to take them prisoner. Speaking of white Wei, my heart is a pain.

Snow-white fingers, the rippling sound of a lute in the spring. She was still in the Marquis's tent, chosen as a female among the captives, to be presented to the emperor.

I reached over my chest. Every time I think of her, I have a kind of heartache.

Maybe she doesn't even know I exist?

Zheng Zhao also saw me and said, "General Chu, what's the matter with you?"

In his mind, I was probably a murderous soldier, and he must not have guessed what I was thinking. "You must not read my mind," I said.

"Of course." He smiled. "I'm afraid I won't be able to read minds today."

I sighed. Zheng Zhao may have been in the Republican Army, but he was now helping the Imperial Army. For him, neither republic nor monarchy was his business. I said, "But it's too bad you don't use your mind reading skills in war."

"Wouldn't it be better if there were no war?"

There was a bitterness in his smile, and I smiled ruefully.

What would I have done without the war? Ye Tai could open a medical library, Xue Wen was a superb carpenter, and Zhang Longyou could come up with strange herbal medicine, the kind of gunpowder that is very effective for hunting and opening mountains. Maybe they could make a fortune. But what about me? What can I do but fight? I can read. Maybe I can open a Mongolian school to teach children how to read as a career. If she's there, what's wrong with her having some plain yet delicious food ready for me every day when I come home from teaching the kids?

But now it's just war.

I laughed. Even with a wry smile.

At this time, a messenger came, in the door of the Dragon Scale Army camp loudly said: "The dragon scale army commander Chu Xiuhong quickly to the Chinese army, Yue general called."

Does Yue Guohua want me to go? I said to Zheng Zhao, "Mr. Zheng, take your leave. Good luck."

Yue Guohua's central army was a newly erected camp. When I reached the gate and jumped off my horse, one of the guards shouted, "Commander Chu Xiuhong of the Dragon Scale Army has arrived."

I looked around. There were no other general's mounts around. Did Yue Guohua only summon me?

At this time, the new officer Hu Zhen came out and said: "General Chu, you have come, General Yue is waiting for you."

They were all from the Central Army. The Right has lost fewer men, but it has lost the most senior generals. I think of the old Chinese army Tian Wei. Hu Zhen and Tian Wei are completely different people.

When I entered the tent, Yue Guohua was reading a map on the wall with his hands behind his back.

It was the distribution map of the garrison of the Left Army in the city. Yue Guohua was fascinated by it. There was no one around him. I knelt down and said, "Chu Xiuhong, commander of the Dragon Scale Army, see General Yue."

Yue Guohua stood up and said, "General Chu, you have come. Please sit down."

I sat down and he sat opposite me. Yue Guohua had been known for his approachability in the Central Army, but he remained so in the Right Army. I said: "General Yue, I do not know why I was summoned?"

Yue Guohua thought for a moment and said, "General Chu, there is a matter that depends on your heart."

'What is it?

He stood up, sighed, and said, "There is only enough food left in the army for ten days."

I've heard that too. In the first division meeting of Marquis Wu, De Yang said that at that time, the army rations were only enough to last one month. After the attack on the northern Gate, the army suffered heavy casualties, and nearly half of the baggage was lost. By now, it should only last about ten days.

I said, "Didn't you transfer grain from the Wuyang City? He should be back tomorrow. As soon as this grain arrives, we shall probably be able to start our work smoothly."

Only ten days of surplus food, even if the class can be successful, even if the supplement along the way, also have half of the people starve to death on the road.

With a wry smile, he said, "The commissariat of Wuyang City has returned today, but the Lord of Wuyang City refused to do so."

'What? I was surprised "Wuyang city master is not afraid we wipe out his Wuyang City?"

He just smiled wryly: "green, surplus grain has done, in short, Wuyang City is full of some high-sounding reasons. I think the surplus grain in Wuyang City is not much. Since our southern expedition, the population of Wuyang City has nearly doubled. When we passed Wuyang City during the Southern expedition, we have transferred more than half of his surplus grain. The envoy just returned, you fear to shake the heart of the army, ordered me to inform the generals of the right army alone. I'm afraid rations will also be reduced today. General Chu, if the soldiers make noise, you must keep it down. The matter is so confidential that it must not be leaked."

I'm a little lost. So far the army can not class, can live in the city of high Eagle one day, surplus food is less like a day. In a few more days, once the food is exhausted, the great rout is inevitable. By that time, not one of the ninety thousand troops left in the city will be left, even if they flee for their lives.

I don't even know how to get out of the army. On the road, as faint as a dream, all I think about is food.

In the imperial capital, although I didn't have much to eat, I always had three full meals a day. Now that I think about it, I had nothing to complain about and was thankful that I had enough to eat.

Back in the Dragon Scale camp, Zheng Zhao is no longer there. He has probably left the army and gone to Wuyang City to find Bai Wei. When we reached the camp, it was getting dark, so we took the day off, and I went to sleep, still eating in my sleep.

When I woke up, it was still dark and there was a Shouting match outside. I pushed aside the blanket I was covered with and got up as food was being distributed outside. Now it's three cakes a day for one person. Three cakes was not enough for the average man, and certainly not for the well-chosen and strong Dragon Scale soldiers. When I entered the battalion, the soldiers were chewing dry cakes and swearing. Jin Qianseok and several soldiers were talking with the granary who was distributing dry cakes. The granary was arguing loudly that he still had three cakes per person, and no more than one.

When Jin Qianshi saw me coming, he shouted: "General Chu, yesterday was a person four, today is three, the granary must be skimming our rations. Commander, let's report to General Yue."

The granary said, "General Jin, you can't say that. You have asked the prince for instructions."

Jin Qianshi angrily: "Today is not from the Wuyang City grain to it? Why do you have to reduce rations?"

"The rations transferred from Wuyang City are not too much. If they are eaten up now, what will they do in the future?"

The granary spoke well, but he also justified himself. I am afraid he did not know about the failure of mixing grain. I said, "General King, I don't think he has the guts to withhold our rations. Anyway, as soon as the grain arrives, there will be no shortage of it these days. Just bite the bullet and get through it. If we stop practicing today for one day, people will be jealous if they think we have more food than others."

Jin Qian Shi also calm down at this time, said: "The director is right. ***, these two days I am also very hungry, in a few days, I am afraid that human flesh can also eat."

At the word "human flesh" he licked his lips. I was shocked and said, "General King, what are you going to do? Do you really want to eat human flesh?"

He smiled: "The Chu governor laughed. I can't eat human flesh. I can eat snake and human flesh. People in the south also like to eat snake meat. They often say, "When the autumn wind rises, three snakes become fat." It is spring now, and the snake is not too fat. There is always more meat."

Then I thought of the snake-man I had captured, and my heart fluttered. If you can feed on the snake man, it's not bad. But the snake man was a man-eater, and the thought of eating him made me sick at the thought of the stumps and heads I had seen in his belly. I said, "Where did you put the snake man?"

Kim Chon-seok said, I am locked in an empty tent. Are you of no use, Governor?"

He looked as if he was going to do it at any moment. "Not yet," I said. "Perhaps we can get something out of it."

That, too, was perfunctory. Jin Qianshi saw me and asked for a long time but couldn't find anything. He didn't know that even Zheng Zhao couldn't read what the snake was thinking with his mind reading. At best, he would starve it to death. It's just that I always think that even a snake eater is a bit like eating human flesh. I won't let them do it. It's just a weird pity thing.

He was a little depressed, too, when suddenly there was another cheer from the town. The sound, also from the east gate.

'What's that?

I tried to look up, but I couldn't see anything. At this time, Yu Dai said, "I will go up and have a look."

He made two steps at a time, and rushed up the archery where the telescope stood. Suddenly, he shouted: "It is the grain cart! The grain cart is here!"

Gold Qianshi also a cheer, said: "How many cars?"

"I think there are twenty."

A big cart can hold seven or eight thousand jin of rice. Twenty carts can hold at least one hundred and fifty thousand jin of rice. It was still a drop in the bucket for the Imperial Army, just over a kilo per head. Mixed in with other dry cakes, there are no more than seven or eight to one person. But it was inspiring. However, I do know that it is definitely not food, even this little hope, but an illusion.

Yue Guohua told me that Wuyang City failed to send a grain of grain, which was probably a ploy by the Lord Wu to avoid losing heart. But to do this, it is as though hemlock had been drunk, if the hemlock had been betrayed, the hemlock could not be cleaned up.

While I was thinking, I heard the sound of thunder and drums outside the camp again: "Chu Xiuhong, commander of the Dragon Scale Army, listens to orders."

I grabbed out of the camp, Lei Gu pulled the horse, said: "Chu commander, hurry to the emperor marquis tent to hold an emergency meeting."

I said to Kim: "General Kim, you are in charge here. I will come after the meeting."

I jumped on my horse and galloped to the central army. I did not know what the general wanted to tell me.

As soon as I got off my horse, someone led me to the tent. I knelt down and said, "Chu Xiuhong, commander of the Dragon Scale Army, takes orders."

There were already many people in the tent, and the most striking one was the Lord of the Moon, who was also sitting at the front. His position is in the same row as that of the landrunner. But Luo Jingwei did not come. In his place was Hu Shi 'an, the army of the rear army.

When Qi came, Marquis Wu said, "General Li, I have some bad news to tell you. General Luo Jingwei, the commander of the army, died of his injuries in the early morning."

Is Luo Jingwei dead? I was not shocked at all. Perhaps I had heard too much of it, and was a little numb to think that now the three most senior officers of the rear army were dead, more dead than the right.

Marquis Wu said, "General Luo's coffin will be placed in the same place as General Shen's for the time being. After the procession, the coffin will be buried in the imperial capital. The funeral ceremony will be simple.

That is also an irony, Luo Jingwei and Shen Xiping were the most hostile, after death, actually kiss and warm together, if they died after the spirit, maybe also laugh and cry

While I was thinking about it, Lord Wu suddenly said, "Today, two hundred thousand jin of grain has arrived from the Wuyang City. I wonder which general will open the way?"

That is the true meaning of the Lord. Now, we have been driven to a dead end, if we continue to defend, we will surely die, and the Lord will take a dangerous retreat. But there is no food in the army, and he has not ordered the ranks to communicate it individually? Why lie on the spot?

I was thinking, at this time, the Lord of the moon suddenly stood up, way: "Lord Wuhou, both the moon and your army together, open the road, the moon Mo quit."

So it is! Marquis Wu is in order to let Cang Yue Gong take up this responsibility, so just held this meeting. This is obviously a trap, is to let the Cang moon and snake people fight, but the Cang moon does not understand its meaning, hard to jump?

Marquis Wu way: "Cangyue Gong can build this, a class division to the imperial capital, your ministry safety, are under the responsibility, Cangyue Gong rest assured."

This is by no means a simple matter. What is the intention of Cang Yue Gong to volunteer to open the way? And why did the Lord agree? Isn't he afraid that the moon and the sky will react against him? Let him open the way. What if the moon turns against us instead?

Cang Yue Gong only smiled lightly and said, "Marquis Yi, weighing more than a thousand jun, I hope you will explain to the emperor after returning home the hardship of southern Xinjiang, light corvee labor, raid, more than seven million people in southern Xinjiang, should do your utmost to praise the virtues of the emperor."

I let out a little sigh. Cang Yuegong probably also hopes to trade his last credit for a little benefit. However, his words of light corvee labor, abdication of conscription, were also pleasing to my heart. Cang Yue rebellion, mostly imperial corvee labor in southern Xinjiang is too heavy, in order to rebuild the Great Wall in northern Xinjiang, the emperor had sent two hundred thousand people, thousands of miles north. As a result, only 110,000 of the 200,000 men returned home after the repair, and nearly half of them were buried elsewhere. Among them, there are tens of thousands of people in southern Xinjiang. Cang Yue Gong has this language, he is not an ordinary man. And Cang Yue said "southern Xinjiang seven hundred people" that is also mostly pre-war statistical figures, now absolutely not so much. In the single battle of Gaoying City, more than 700,000 of the city's nearly 800,000 people died. In the destruction of other small towns, countless people died. Now, I think the population of the three provinces in southern Xinjiang is no more than three or four million. It is a mighty thing to go to war for two thousand miles and lay down millions of corpses, but if you included yourself in those millions, you would be as easy to kill as a match to win.

No matter what in the heart of the moon, such as the grand words, since it is very popular. No wonder in the early days of the rebellion in southern Xinjiang, Cangyue Gongqi everywhere, invincible, few cities loyal to the empire.

Marquis Wu smiled at this time, said: "The Lord of the moon, things like chess, these things or wait for later. The central army will take the lead, the rear army and the baggage battalion will follow, the right army in turn, and General Lu's left army will break off."

The order of withdrawal was different this time. When Marquis Wu was in the forefront, he was afraid that the moon would turn against the water. The Chinese army is much stronger than Luo Jingwei's army, and equipped with fire and lightning bombs, even if the Cang Yue Gong really turned back, five thousand people is not the enemy of the Chinese army, not out of control. But this has no retreat, once the Chinese army is attacked, leaderless, where can support?

Yue Guohua stood up and said, "Your Majesty, there are still nearly twenty thousand residents in the city. What should we do?"

Marquis Wu said, "Open the east gate and let them find their own way.

Most of the people in the city have dispersed, but there are still many women and children crowded in the east gate. Now the east gate inspection will not be too strict, too busy, who will want to search out some jewelry? Marquis Wu did not order the massacre of the remaining city people, probably because the Lord of the moon was present.

Yue Guohua Road: "But the people in the East gate are fighting for the road, so the withdrawal will be much slower."

Lord Wu smiled and said, "We are retreating from the south gate."

What? If the words of the Lord were reasonable before, now I almost think I heard them wrong. I looked around at the generals, and they were all a little tongue-tied.

The South Gate is where the Serpents first appeared. It was there that the Dragonscale Army was first decimated, and it was there that the Serpents' formidable field abilities frightened everyone. In addition, after retreating from the East Gate, although we had to take a detour through Wuyang City before heading north, which was longer, the road was still safer. After the south gate, it's a long way back north. Can the marquis unexpectedly from the most unlikely south gate forced withdrawal, in the end is what idea?

Before Yue Guohua could speak, Chai Shengxiang began to cry out: "Your Majesty, withdraw from the south gate and turn from the west to the north. It is impossible to cross the snow-capped Mountain. If we go around from the east, we have to walk hundreds of miles longer. How can we resist the snake man if he attacks us on this road?"

Lord Wu said, "If it is difficult to travel by land, then go by water!"

Water! I was surprised again. Indeed, a hundred miles to the south, there is the sea. There's a little town by the sea called Nightwave. Night Wave city in addition to produce fish and shrimp, very little grain, but also because the road is too far away, the Imperial capital people are unknown. Of course there are ships in the Night Wave city, but how many ships can there be in a small town with only 10,000 people?

Lord Wu smiled and said, "The Lord of Five Sheep has promised to send ten large ships, twenty medium ships and fifty small boats. They set out three days ago. By the time we reach the Night Wave City, the fleet will have arrived."

It was a good plan, but it was risky. The ship could seat two thousand men, the middle one thousand, and the small three hundred. At this figure, the fleet could seat 55,000. If you take out the crew on board, you'll only get half as much. Then after half of the escape, if the snake people chase to the city, Night Wave City and other towns, how to resist?

At this time Yue Guohua asked again, "Your Majesty, what will happen if the Snake man catches the Night Wave City? Besides, if the Lord of the Night Wave shuts his door, are we not under attack from both sides?"

Night Wave City is not known to be involved in Cang Moon Gong's rebellion, but since it is also in the south, it is naturally involved. This idea, I'm afraid, is the meaning of God Moon, but God Moon only arrived two days ago, I'm afraid this idea is already settled.

The idea of the Lord of the moon, how can you believe it so? But now I don't see any other way but to trust him. However, with the ability of the marquis, is it really so credulous?

Marquis Wu said, "The decision has been made. Go back and make preparations."

We all stood together and said, "Yes."

When the meeting was over, Marquis Wu suddenly said, "General of the forward battalion Road, General of the Dragon Scale Army Chu, you two stay."

I was about to leave the camp when I heard Lord Wu say so. When the generals had dispersed from the tent, we knelt down and asked, "Do you have any orders, my Lord?"

Marquis Wu stood up in his seat and said, "You quickly gather your troops and horses to the south gate."

My heart was burning. When Marquis Wu said this, he wanted us to be his guards and rectify the order of the class. Then, after all, the Lord trusted me. Road Gong line may not feel what, but I was born to know the sense of encounter, way: "you have life, the end will powder body."

There was no sign of anger on the Lord's face. He got down from his seat, and the eagle and the eaglet on one side threw a cloak over him, and he went out of the camp. As he passed by me, he patted me on the shoulder and said, "The man under the fishing tent has already told me about you. Don't worry about it."

That means Zheng Zhao said I have no intention of rebellion. My nose turned sour and I almost cried. When the Marquis left, I said, "General Road, I went first."

Finally it was time for the class. The future is unpredictable, Marquis called me to the side, that is also to me as a close friend of the meaning. So many things had happened in the ten days since we were trapped in the city that I even thought I had lost the trust of my Lord. But he had just given me clear instructions, and my Lord still believed in me.

Despite the pain of my half-healed wounds, I galloped toward the Longscale garrison.

As soon as we reached the gate of the Dragon Scale Army, I shouted loudly, "Brothers of the Dragon Scale Army, the Lord Wu has an order. Assemble at once."

Wu Wanling came only a few days, but he and Jin Qianshi cooperation training greatly effective. As soon as I shouted, the Longscale soldiers, who had been sitting or walking lazily, lined up, mounted their horses and galloped out of the camp. Such military discipline, it is the land by fishing iron riding is only so.

When they were gathered, Gold Qianshi brought his horse over and said, "Commander, what happened?"

I said: "The whole army, the Lord Wu ordered us to guard the south gate. Start at once."

The west gate is more than a mile from the south gate. All the way to the horse past, gold Qianshi with me side way: "Leader, really want to class? What's the hurry?"

I couldn't help but do a double take. Indeed, Lord Wu always planned to move later. The last time he prepared his battalion, he had ordered his troops to garrison outside the city before withdrawing the baggage-camp. This time it was so hasty, though the baggage battalion was loaded and ready to move with all but the urgent things. Had he lost his bearings?

"The Lord has his own strategy," I said. "It has been arranged. We will follow it."

Perhaps the marquis was afraid that the spy would reveal the information again. This time, the rush is to catch them off guard. The whole army rushed out of the south gate. Most of the Serpents at Sandu could not stop it. But the battle must have been very hard. But it is not necessary to say this to Kim Qianshi.

Once at the south gate, the forward battalion was lined up under the city. I said, "General Lu, where is your majesty?"

Lu Gongxing rode out and said, "Your Majesty is at the head of the city. You are ordered to lead the Dragon Scale army and guard the city."

None of them dismounted. The vanguard battalion is probably large, the Lord told them to stay under the city. I jumped off my horse and said, "Boys, up town."

When we got to the top of the city, I saw the Lord standing just above the gate, looking down. I rushed forward and said, "Your Majesty, Chu Xiuhong, commander of the Dragon Scale Army, is here to take orders."

The marquis turned his head and said, "You have come? The Dragon Scale will guard the gate."

Do you need to guard the door now? But I dare not ask more, said: "Yes."

There was only one guard at his side, an eagle or an eagle, and he did not move at his side. I stood up and said, "Come with me, brothers."

At this moment, Lord Wu suddenly raised his eyebrows and looked up at the sky. I looked up at the sky and saw some bird flying south. The bird flies too high for an arrow.

Are there any birds here? There had been no birds or rats in the city since it had been conquered. The Republican army had defended the city for three months, and the occasional bird flying over the city had been shot down and eaten by the Imperial army, which was tired of dry cakes. Where did the bird come from?

At this time, Jiang came forward in the porch: "Commander, I shoot it down."

Well, that could have been the mole. I remember the time of Lloyd's fire attack, when the Serpents sent out firebirds to break our kites. I nodded, just to say yes, the Marquis suddenly said: "Do not start."

As he spoke, two arrows shot down from the wall. It was probably shot by a couple of hungry Imperial soldiers, but the bird flew so high and so fast that the arrows could not even touch the edge. If I use the Guan Ri bow to shoot, although the height can be reached, but the aim is probably not good, but Jiang Zaixuan's level of sharpshooter, maybe can hit.

I knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, that bird may have been released by a traitor."

Wu Hou smiled and said, "I know."

He did not answer again, but looked at the bird.

The bird flew south, came over the Snake-man camp, and suddenly dropped. It wouldn't have happened if someone hadn't trained it. I said: "Marquis Wu"

Lord Wu did not answer, but looked at the Serpent camp. The Serpents moved closer, within a mile of the city, close to the trees. From a distance, I could only see a commotion there, and I did not know what was happening.

If the bird was a mole, then the Snake Man must have known we were withdrawing from the south gate. I was a little anxious, desperate: "Your majesty, if the snake people know our strategy, then our withdrawal will probably be attacked, your majesty, think again."

Wu Hou did not look at me, just way: "General Chu, you do not have to other tube, just guard the gate, listen to me."

I could no longer remonstrate with the marquis, so I stepped aside somewhat dejected. The two Chinese soldiers controlling the drawbridge stepped aside so that I could stand in front.

At that moment, a man hurried up to the city. It was another guard of Marquis Wu, whether it was an eagle or an eagle. Lord Wu said, "Eagle, how are things?"

It was the little eagle that had just stood by the Lord. They were twins, identical in appearance, and dressed alike in armour. If I saw it every day, I might be able to spot a slight difference in dress, but I couldn't see any difference. It was interesting for the Lord to take these brothers as guards.

The eagle went to the Lord, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, it is indeed him."

'Where is he now?

"He has returned to his camp, and I have ordered my own troops to stand guard outside.

Lord Wu snorted, said: "First do not alarm the grass, wait here a matter, I want to interrogate."

I didn't know what to hear, but I didn't dare ask. It seems that the Lord general has found something suspicious, but why not immediately capture him, and why not "wait for something to happen here"?

I can't think of anything without a headache. At this time, I can not help but envy Zheng Zhao. Although he said he could not read the Lord's mind, at least others could.

Suddenly, lightning flashed in my head. If Zheng Zhaozhen could not read the mind of Lord Wu, even if there was Lu Jing Yu at the side of the advocacy, Lord Wu would believe it?

Wu Hou was also a believer in seeing is believing. If Zheng Zhao really can not read the mind of the Marquis, I'm afraid he will be immediately as a liar, where will let him read our hearts, to see which people really want to follow Luan Peng rebellion. So, is Zheng Zhao lying to me? The so-called can not read the mind of the marquis, just a lie? In other words, can't read Cangyue Gong's mind, that is also a lie?

Why would he lie to me about these two? Is it because I asked him what the Lord thought? Moreover, Wu Hou already know that he has such a skill, even if the land by Yu promised Zheng Zhao leave at any time, Wu Hou will certainly not let him go. Zheng Zhao's successful departure from the army must have been tacitly approved by Marquis Wu.

I have a headache. Zheng Zhao has left, I am afraid he is now on his way to Wuyang City. For what reason, I may never again know. I looked at the warrior standing at the battlements and felt a chill in my heart.

What is in the heart of this famous man?

At that moment a cry went up from the city. A troop of men and horses was approaching the south gate. It was the Lord Cangyue's 5,000 men and horses.

More than five thousand troops brought by the Lord Cangyue were placed near the Central army. This clearly can show the Marquis to Cang month together to give birth to the Pucheng Bugong, but also let the Chinese army monitoring Cang month. I only once saw Cang Yue Gong at the East Gate when he was fishing from the land. He looked old in his earthen robe. Now he was wearing his battle armor, but he was a hale and healthy veteran.

They began to line up out of the city, Cang Yue Gong took the lead, out of the city, in the moat side to Hou Wu arch the hand, way: "Marquis, open the road, by our army, please your army speed up to keep up, it is necessary to let the evildoers have no place to live.

Wu Hou smiled and said, "God, be careful."

His words were so conciliatory that listening to their conversation it would have been impossible to tell that not long ago they were bitter rivals.

Five thousand men and horses are in order. The cavalry of the Lord Cangyue was small, only about one thousand. The rest were infantry, and many weapons were broken, but the morale was high. It would have been almost tragic if I hadn't been so thoughtful.

For the Republicans, the old belief was to destroy the empire and rebuild it. But by a strange twist of fate, it was now necessary to help the Imperial army in order to obtain a place to live, and the Republican generals who had been heroic at the time of the rebellion must have been suffering.

Five thousand Republicans were moving fast, and in a moment the vanguard of the Republicans were three hundred paces from the city, and the last of them were out

Far away, however, there was a commotion in the Serpent's camp, coming from the west. That's the snake man from outside the west side to reinforce the Snake man from South Gate. It seems that the bird was indeed a message from the mole.

I was waiting to report to Wu Hou, Wu Hou suddenly said: "pull the drawbridge, shut the gate!"

The Republicans are outside the city, and the Serpents are about to attack. We're outnumbered now, and the aim is to get south. Even if it's going to be a hard fight, most of us can get out safely. But this command is tantamount to abandoning the republican army outside the city, it is a breach of faith.

I only said that what I heard was wrong. Lord Wu shouted again: "Pull the drawbridge! Shut the gates! Did you hear that?"

His roar was so loud that I started, and some of the Longscale soldiers and I turned the pulley.

Don't blame me. It pained me to see the Republicans who had just left the city turn their heads and look up in amazement.

The drawbridge was up and the gates closed. Now, there are only five thousand Republicans outside the city, facing an army of Serpents ready to advance.