The Grandmaster Strategist

The young man coughed several times in pain and looked at me expectantly. I helplessly motioned to Xiao Shunzi to carry him into the room, and then asked: "I am not a talented official, and I am also a scholar. I am confident that I have not robbed women." Evil deeds, I don’t know why you think your wife is here with me?”

The young man looked at me doubtfully and said, "Although Caomin Han Zhang is from Shu, he is not an official or a sergeant. He is just an ordinary farmer. Caomin's wife is the daughter of a famous family, with outstanding appearance and noble status. Three years ago , Zhuo Jing ran away from home because he was dissatisfied with the marriage arranged by his family, and got married to Cao Min by chance. A few months ago, Zhuo Jing learned that his mother was sick, so he went back to visit relatives. Cao Min returned home on his own because it was the autumn harvest and it was inconvenient to stay for a long time. Unexpectedly, Dayong and Nanchu attacked Shu together. Zhuojing's father, Tian Wei, was the guard of Bajun. Unfortunately, he was killed in battle. Zhuojing and his mother-in-law were captured. I heard the news that Bajun's city had been destroyed and rushed there day and night to investigate. It turned out that they were rewarded by Prince De to the military staff Jiang Zhe as slaves, so they followed them all the way."

I looked at Xiao Shunzi in confusion, and Xiao Shunzi showed a look of realization and said, "Sir, when you were ill, Prince De saw that Tian Wei's daughter was pretty, so he gave her to you as a reward. The credit is due to the master's advice, but the master has been unconscious, so the servant takes the decision for the master and leaves them with the prince. These days, because the master is just healthy, the servant wants to serve the master for a few more days. Seeing Tian serving the king My father-in-law was very considerate and simply arranged for them to continue serving the prince, so that everyone would be happy."

Only then did I realize that no wonder Xiao Shunzi was always by my side during this period. I asked, "How does the prince treat them?"

Xiao Shunzi said respectfully: "Don't worry, sir, Tian is smart and dexterous, and the prince wants to adopt her as his adopted daughter, but Mrs. Tian is not in good health because she is sad about the death of General Tian."

When Han Zhang heard this, he showed uncontrollable joy, which was only covered by a painful expression for a moment. I thought to myself, it seems that this Han Zhang is not a spy of the Shu army, but after hearing what I just said, should he keep silent? On second thought, it was unnecessary. Could he still inform Prince De? When I hesitated, Han Zhang was already dying. I quickly took out an acupuncture box, took out golden needles to acupuncture for him, and then gave him medicine for his injuries. He fell asleep under the influence of the medicine. I said to Xiao Shunzi: "I can't do anything about Tian Wei's death. In the war between the two countries, casualties are inevitable, but his wife and daughter are not guilty of any serious crimes. Please make arrangements. After we capture Luocheng and the road is clear, Just let the three of them go."

Xiao Shunzi said: "Yes, I will explain it clearly to the prince then. The prince will not be unhappy, but it is a pity. This Han Zhang has a good foundation in kung fu. I don't dare to underestimate myself. He is a master guard in the palace." Not many people can survive my attack, it would be great if I could keep Han Zhang by my side as your bodyguard."

I thought it was impossible and said: "I am an official of Southern Chu, and he is a relative of the general of Shu. Not to mention his mother-in-law and wife, how can he be my bodyguard? You are also a bit fanciful."

Xiao Shunzi said: "It's not impossible. His wife is now your servant. If you allow him to stay and reunite with his wife, shouldn't he be grateful? But I know that your master needs a loyal servant. It would be bad if this person is forced to stay.”

I nodded and said: "Yes, it is better to be absent than to abuse. If you are not loyal, there is no use staying. However, if we can capture Luocheng, it will take at least one or two months. During this time, they have no way to leave, so let him do it for the time being." My attendant, so that you and I will not have close contact with each other and arouse suspicion." Xiao Shunzi agreed: "That's fine, so as not to worry about your safety all the time."

By the time Han Zhang woke up, it was already late at night. He could feel the vitality in his limbs and bones, and could not feel the heavy internal injuries that almost killed him. He did not move.

But he could feel that he was in a small room. He couldn't feel anyone around him. Just as he was about to sit up, a cold palm gently pressed his chest. Then there was a flash of fire and someone lit the candle. Han Zhang Looking through the weak candlelight, he saw the young man who had injured himself looking at him coldly, with murderous intent in his eyes. Han Zhang wisely stopped moving. He didn't want to die inexplicably, especially after getting the news that his wife was safe.

Seeing that he was very calm, the man showed a cold smile and said: "My name is Li Shun, and the Jiang Zhe you are looking for is my master. The master has decided that when the battle of Luocheng comes to an end, He will release you and your mother-in-law and your wife, but until then, he wants you to be his servant for a while.”

Han Zhang hesitated for a moment. After all, he was from the Shu Kingdom, so he was a bit reluctant to serve as an attendant to officials who invaded his own land.

Xiao Shunzi seemed not to notice his expression and continued: "To be honest, you are not a good candidate. If someone suspects that you are a spy of the Shu Army, it will inevitably bring trouble to you, but since you have decided, I I don’t have any objections. Tomorrow my lord will take you to see your family, and then he will inform the Lord Supervisor of the matter. With the permission of the Lord Supervisor, you can stay with my family temporarily, but there is one thing you must keep in mind. Remember it firmly." Xiao Shunzi's face became gloomy, and he said every word: "You didn't hear the conversation between me and the adults, you don't know my relationship with him, if you leak a word, I will be the end of the world. I will also kill you and make your wife suffer the greatest pain in the world."

Han Zhang said solemnly: "Master Jiang and Master Li have been very kind to me. What happened today will not be mentioned to anyone until the day Han Zhang dies."

Xiao Shunzi retracted his palm, smiled lightly, and left.

The next day I took Han Zhang to see the prince. When the prince heard about this, he was very satisfied. Anyway, Tian and her daughter are my slaves, and allowed Han Zhang to stay with me temporarily. Of course, he also informed Prince De asked them to know about this to avoid misunderstanding that Han Zhang was a spy. However, I thought there would be a lot of secret surveillance, so I told Xiao Shunzi not to come over for the time being. Of course, I also saw the maid given to me by Prince De for the first time. Tian’s name is Tian Suying. She is handsome and heroic. She is worthy of being a general’s tiger girl. I heard from Han Zhang that Tian Suying can also do martial arts, and she is not inferior to Han Zhang. This time It was obviously because of my mother that I couldn't get away. This made me take a breath of cold air. What if Tian Suying assassinated Wang Eunuch or me? When I asked Xiao Shunzi about this matter, Xiao Shunzi told me indifferently, don't talk about Wang Eunuch. There were many guards around the father-in-law, and he had already warned Tian Suying that if she dared to commit murder, her mother would be killed, and they would not be able to escape Fushui Pass anyway. I immediately looked at Xiao Shunzi in a different light. This boy is very cautious in doing things. If he is willing to work hard, why can't he become the biggest manager among the eunuchs? When I told him this, Xiao Shunzi said contemptuously: "Serve the king. What's the good thing? Being humble and servile. If there is a slight mistake, you still have to worry about your head falling to the ground. It's different for you. If you are really angry with me, at worst, you will scold me, and you have to be careful that I can't stand the backlash. "I. Under Xiao Shunzi's cold gaze, his heart suddenly felt chilly. He immediately thought about whether there was a time when he was too harsh on him, but after thinking about it, it seemed that he shouldn't be. However, no matter what, you must remember that this kid has very high martial arts skills. .

At this time, Chengdu was already in chaos. Prime Minister Shenjun, an important minister of the DPRK, and his generals Fanhu and Meng Tao were stationed at Jiameng Pass. Dayong attacked the city very frequently, making the Jiameng Pass defenders almost blind, while the generals Long Bu and General Wei Xian did not dare to relax in guarding Bajun. The center of Shu Kingdom had almost no soldiers left. King Meng Yun of Shu had black hair turned into frost in a few months. He resented Nan Chu for betraying the alliance and hated himself for offending Dayong. After much deliberation, there was no way to retreat from the enemy. Later, Fa Lan, an important minister of the Shu Kingdom, came up with a plan, saying that since Dongchuan had been lost, it was better to make peace with Dayong. If Dayong withdrew his troops, Nanchu would definitely not attack Shu alone. Although the plan was accepted by the king, who should be sent as the envoy? King Yong Li Zhi was famous all over the world. If he sent an ordinary person, he might not even be able to say a few words. Later, Yang Can, the mad student of Shu, invited himself to go. Yang Can traveled day and night to reach Jiameng Pass. Jiameng Pass was full of blood and fire. Yang Can had a good night's rest. The next day, he left the pass and went to Yongying, where he handed in his credentials and asked for an audience. Not long after, King Yong ordered the commander to come and see him.

Yang Can is a famous madman in the Shu Kingdom. He usually relies on his talents and is arrogant and arrogant. However, when he saw King Yong's military appearance neat and tidy, and the tigers and beasts in front of the tent were very majestic, he couldn't help but feel chilled. He straightened up his appearance and walked into the tent, only to see his appearance. A graceful, gentle-looking but slightly forbidding man in military uniform is sitting behind the handsome case. King Yong Li Zhi is thirty-one years old this year. He has been on the battlefield all year round, but he does not have any murderous intent at all. He wears black light armor and a brocade robe, and his expression is He was calm and peaceful, as if he was sitting around at home rather than leading troops on the battlefield. On his left hand side, stood a dozen military generals, all of them with a calm and fierce aura. On his right hand stood a dozen or so people wearing civilian uniforms. , or the staff dressed in commoners, which shows the prosperity of his subordinates' civil and military skills.

Yang Can entered the account, stood up without kneeling, and said loudly: "The envoy of Shu State Yang Can pays homage to His Royal Highness King Yong."

The generals all stared angrily, and one of them, a rough-looking general, scolded: "Young envoy, why don't you kneel down when you see His Highness?"

Yang Can raised his voice and said: "Although Yang Can is a commoner, he is a citizen of Shu. Although His Highness is noble, he is a minister of Yong. Today Can is on an envoy under the order of the king. How can I bow down?"

A counselor with a gentle appearance who was only in his fifties said in a gentle manner: "The Kingdom of Shu was defeated day and night. I, Yong, have an army of 200,000, and we are fighting at the pass. The leader of your country does not want to win, but he sends you as an envoy. So, Why?"

Yang Can leaned forward and said: "The leader of our country knows that he has offended Dayong. How can he not be afraid now that the army is approaching the city? However, our country of Shu has not fallen for a day. As a Shu people, we dare not insult the country. If Dayong forgives the sin, allow it Our Kingdom of Shu claims to be a vassal and pays tribute. Although Zecan is arrogant, how dare he disrespect the important ministers of our superior state."

A young counselor, with an ordinary appearance, but a sharp nose and deep eyes, said coldly: "The Kingdom of Shu is now in danger, and Jiameng is about to fall. I don't know what the Kingdom of Shu can do to ask for peace. Our country can win completely, so why should we stay here?" Wait for the rest of your life."

Yang Can said proudly: "Although the Shu Kingdom is defeated now, Jiameng Pass and Bajun are still under control, and there may be no possibility of peace. If your country insists on destroying our Shu Kingdom, our Lord would rather give away all of Shu." Southern Chu, when the time comes Nan Chu will not only gain fertile land in Shu, but also occupy Jingxiang. Even if Dayong is strong, he can only sit back and watch Southern Chu grow stronger from now on. If we are willing to call a truce, our country of Shu will not only surrender to Dayong, but also I don’t dare to claim back the land of Dongchuan outside Jiameng Pass. Our lord deeply hates the leader of Nan Chu for betraying the alliance. If he holds a grudge in the future, he will only take revenge on Nan Chu. Dayong has half of my country, but he can sit back and watch the peace between Shu and Shu. Wouldn’t it be nice if Nanchu and Chu were killing each other?”

Everyone listened in silence. The inability to attack Jiameng Pass in the past few days made them more or less think about withdrawing their troops. However, the strategy had been determined and could not be modified, so everyone's eyes fell on Li Zhi, King Yong.

Li Zhi smiled slightly and asked, "How are the people in Shu?"

Yang Can said loudly: "We have the most prosperous people in Shu. We have the talent of Xiao He in literature, the courage of a king in military affairs, and the wisdom of good people in planning. The heroes in our Shu are all loyal and righteous people. Although Can is not talented, he dares to imitate Tian Heng." Strong men, or those with unknown talents, are willing to follow the example of Nie Zheng and Jing Qing."

An imperceptible cold light flashed in Li Zhi's eyes, and he continued to ask: "How many of the kings of Shu are under your command now?"

Yang Can said: "There are hundreds of people who are versatile in both civil and military affairs, and possess both wisdom and bravery. Just like the ones below, they can carry a lot of energy in a carriage."

Li Zhi asked: "In that case, what position does your envoy hold?"

Yang Can replied: "Under the rule of the Lord, things are rich and the people are prosperous. We and other savages can return to the countryside and enjoy themselves day and night."

Li Zhi smiled faintly and said: "Your envoy must be tired when you come from afar. Please come back temporarily. If you have any reply, I will definitely send an envoy to tell you."

Yang Can bowed again and said goodbye. Not far from the tent, a Confucian scholar in white shirt, with thin eyebrows and long eyes, and a graceful demeanor, quietly came out of the tent and asked: "Mr. Yang, a mad man in Shu, why are you so arrogant first and then respectful?"

Yang Can replied: "I was arrogant before because of my unyielding ambition, but later I was respectful because of our country, Shu."

The white-robed Confucian scholar remained silent and said: "I have the great Yong Xuansong, whose name is Chang Qing. If you have any entrustment in the future, you can send me a letter. As long as it does not involve national affairs, Chang Qing will do his best."

Yang Can thanked him and returned to Chengdu via Jiameng Pass to resume his life.

In the next half month, Yong's army stopped attacking the city, and the pressure on Jiameng Pass suddenly eased.

Not long after, the news was sent to the Prince of De, Zhao Jue, by a secret agent from Nanchu. Zhao Jue was angry. He was not having an easy time during this period. Luocheng could not be captured for a long time. Long Bu was worthy of being a general in Shu. When the military situation changes, they often go out to fight in the city, which often forces Nan Chu to retreat. Wei Xian is good at intercepting strongholds. He can do a small section every three days and a large section every five days, which makes the Nan Chu army sleepless. Long Bu and Wei Xian In response to each other, the Southern Chu army had not advanced an inch in the past month, and the rear grain roads were often harassed by the defeated Shu army. Zhao Jue was helpless for a while. When he was troubled, he got this shocking bad news. If the Shu Kingdom and the If Dayongzhen made peace, it would be the end of Nanchu. At this time, he thought of Jiang Zhe. The personality of this young champion is a bit strange. Although Zhao Jue forced Jiang Zhe to join the army and did not interfere much when Jiang Zhe was seriously ill due to fright on the battlefield, this cannot be blamed on Zhao Jue. In the former, Zhao Jue believed that Jiang Zhe was a minister of Nanchu. , since he has talent, how can he not serve the country? The latter, Zhao Jue was because he was too busy with military affairs at the time and was busy marching and fighting. It was not easy to conquer the city. After Jiang Zhe recovered from illness, he was very indifferent to military affairs. Zhao Jue first felt that Jiang Zhe was slacking off after recovering from a serious illness. Secondly, he also noticed that his close aide Rong Yuan rejected Jiang Zhe because he did not want to spoil the relationship with Rong Yuan. After all, Rong Yuan is very proficient in military strategy and is his indispensable right-hand man, so in comparison, he can't help but be a little indifferent to Jiang Zhe. For two reasons, Zhao Jue and Jiang Zhe became increasingly estranged. But today, Zhao Jue once again felt the importance of Jiang Zhe. What made Jiang Zhe far superior to everyone was not only his ability to analyze intelligence and process official documents, but also his foresight on strategy. Judging from the battle against Bajun, Jiang Zhe is good at planning the purpose of combat in advance, and can find breakthroughs from a vast amount of intelligence. Although the implementation requires careful and meticulous people, it is already very rare. Now that Zhao Jue encountered decision-making difficulties, he finally thought of Jiang Zhe again, but what about Rong Yuan?

When Zhao Jue was troubled, Rong Yuan came to see him. As soon as he saw Zhao Jue, he knelt down and apologized. Zhao Jue was stunned and quickly helped Rong Yuan up and asked, "Why is Mr. Rong so polite?"

Rong Yuan said with shame: "My subordinates are narrow-minded and reject talented people. They are guilty of unforgivable crimes. In recent days, every time I think about how to defeat the enemy, I can't think of an effective method. If Jiang Zhuangyuan is here, he will definitely be able to pull the strings." Cocoon, we have made a big plan. Your Majesty, please go with your subordinates, ask them to plead guilty to the number one scholar in person, and work together to break Luocheng."

Zhao Jue was overjoyed and said: "Sir, you can correct your mistakes if you know them. There is no greater good. Zhao Jue also made mistakes. He neglected famous people. The two of us will go to see Jiang Zhe together. We will definitely get an understanding, so that we can ask Jiang Zhuangyuan to make a plan to break this deadlock." He handed the information in his hand to Rong Yuan. When Rong Yuan saw it, his face turned pale. He naturally knew how dangerous the current situation was. If the Shu Kingdom really surrendered to Dayong, then once the Shu Kingdom regained its strength, it would definitely take revenge on Nan Chu. object. Thinking of this, he quickly urged Zhao Jue to go find Jiang Zhe.

At this moment, I am still immersed in the comfortable guest life. After knowing that Tian Suying also knows martial arts, Wang Haijianjun immediately agreed to return Tian Suying and the Tian family to me. Their family was reunited and naturally happy, but Tian Suying was still lukewarm towards me. After all, I was A high-ranking official in Nanchu was the culprit who conspired to bring down her father. I didn't know that there was already a dark cloud in the sky over Nanchu.

Just as I was writing down a poem I had just written, someone outside the door asked: "Is Mr. Jiang here?"