The Grandmaster Strategist

In the twenty-fourth year of its prosperity, the Northern Han Dynasty defeated Qinzhou. Princess Jiaping retreated to Jinyang. The Yong army threatened to massacre the city. The common people all went north to avoid the disaster of war. The roads were obscured by smoke and dust, and the roads were difficult. Everyone, old and young, cried. Invincible asked himself to be the king. Rear Army. Yong's army was in a desperate situation, but Wudi was unable to stop him. Finally, he was trapped by Yong's army due to exhaustion. Wudi took Yong's captive Xuan Song as a hostage and threatened Yong's commander to rescue him, but he survived.

However, before Wudi arrived in Jinyang, the roads were noisy, and everyone said that he had surrendered to the enemy. The Lord of the Northern Han Dynasty did not notice, and issued an edict to kill him. There were countless rumors at that time, and Wudi was irrefutable. Only Princess Jiaping knew of his injustice and ordered him to go away. avoid.

——"The Biography of Duan Wudi in Northern Han Dynasty"

Thirty miles east of Pingyao City, the deserted village was deserted and desolate. A group of Yong Army scouts went north along the road like a whirlwind. They were still several miles away from the village. A dozen Yong Army soldiers rode out of the formation, entered the village and circled around, then returned. When he arrived at the team, he reported to the leading officer: "The village is deserted and the houses are in good condition and can be used as a place to camp."

The officer nodded and said: "Don't be careless. The Northern Han thieves have made many sneak attacks and harassments in the past few days. Our army is quite tired. You can follow me to search the village vigorously and not leave any hidden dangers. Although the Chinese army will guard it. But if they find anything wrong, I’m afraid we can’t afford the punishment.”

Those Yong soldiers agreed with a bang. Except for a dozen people who were still on guard outside the village, the rest went into the village to search, not letting go of anything suspicious. The leading officer even picked out a few neat houses first. He inspected it inside and out, and then sat down personally to wait for the arrival of the Chinese army.

Half an hour later, with the golden dragon flag fluttering in the wind under the setting sun, the Yong Army's central army arrived at the deserted village. Then the army began to camp outside the village, while the Yong Army's commander, King Qi Li Xian, entered the village to rest. The guards had already cleaned the house. , although it was just a temporary residence, the bed was replaced with the brocade bedding used by Li Xian during his march, all the utensils and utensils were brought by the army, and even the windows were covered with brocade curtains. The originally simple and simple farmhouse was transformed in a short time. It turned into a comfortable and gorgeous hotel.

After Li Xian summoned all the generals to have a meal together, they gathered around the silver lamp to discuss military plans. Hidden in the corner of the room was the evil figure Li Shun. He looked gloomy and seemed very unhappy because he had to stay in King Qi's camp. , so he was used as a guard by Li Xianchong. If not for this, he would have gone to find a secluded place to practice and meditate.

Li Xian said angrily: "This Duan Wudi is really invincible. I attacked fiercely, so he chose the danger and defended it. If I relaxed a little, he would sneak into the camp and attack it, or else he would come to seize my kingdom." Baggage, I have been harassed by him these days. Tomorrow our army can attack Pingyao. This is one of the most fortified cities in the Northern Han Dynasty. If Duan Wudi defends the city, I am afraid it will delay my king for a few more days. , do you have a plan to make him abandon the city early? Huh, as long as I wait until this king arrives at Jinyang City, I see what other tricks he can come up with. Now General Changsun is going around to wipe out the sporadic rebel armies in various parts of the Northern Han Dynasty, making rapid progress. It would be really embarrassing if I need his help to attack Jinyang."

King Qi's love general Xia Ning was eager to say: "Your Highness, although Duan Wudi is difficult to deal with, as long as he is willing to face us head-on, what are we afraid of what he will do? Your Highness, please let the last general attack the city. It won't take three days. We can definitely do it." Destroy the city.”

Fan Wencheng sneered: "If we attack the city with all our strength, are you still needed? None of us can take command. Your Highness wants to reduce some losses. After all, our Zezhou Army's losses this time are not light."

The generals made plans one after another, but the more Li Xian listened, the more he frowned. Duan Wudi had the fortified city of Pingyao as the backing, and he had nearly 10,000 troops. If he wanted to attack by force, he would suffer heavy losses. Although he knew that Duan Wudi's weakness was his love for the people, if he threatened It is possible to capture the people and attack the city, or use other means to force Duan Wudi to abandon Pingyao. After all, Duan Wudi's purpose is just to delay Yong's army. However, not to mention that the people of the Northern Han Dynasty had already disappeared without a trace wherever he passed. Even if he could catch enough civilians, he did not want to deepen the hatred between the Northern Han Dynasty and the civilians of the Northern Han Dynasty when the Northern Han Dynasty was about to be destroyed. Jing Chi's reputation for bloodthirsty forced people along the way to flee, but Li Xian didn't want to really massacre the city and destroy the village.

He, Li Xian, is not cruel by nature. He does not want to implicate innocent civilians if it is not necessary.

Li Shun stood in the shadow of the room and couldn't help but curl his lips slightly. If the young master had not given the order, he would have gone to Qinyuan to serve the young master if Xuan Songsheng wanted to see people or die. If he didn't leave here, he would be treated as a hard worker by the King of Qi. Who knew that Xuan Song was still in Duan Wudi's hands, but he couldn't find a chance to save people, so he could only stay with Li Xian and save people with cameras. Seeing that everyone was discussing more and more enthusiastically and starting to figure out all kinds of evil ways, Li Shun quietly floated out of the room and wanted to breathe in the cold air. The air outside was very fresh, and Li Shun felt much more relaxed. He couldn't help but stroll among the dim stars and flickering lights, immersing his mind in the space between heaven and earth, and Li Shun quietly savored the endless night. Suddenly, Li Shun felt a palpitation in his heart. He looked into the distance as if aware of it. Across the thousands of troops and iron walls, there was a faint murderous aura deep in the darkness. It was a familiar aura.

Since the battle with Fengyi Sect Master, Li Shun has benefited a lot. His hard training in the East China Sea has made his innate realm a step further. Except for a few people in the world, he has no opponent. Now he has mastered the "soul locking" technique. A person with martial arts who has reached a certain level of martial arts will be mentally alert as long as he is within a certain distance of him. This distance is not fixed and is closely related to the depth of martial arts of both parties. If the other party is an ordinary person, unless he is Pay careful attention, otherwise it will be difficult to form a warning sign in his mind. If the other person is a master who has not entered the innate realm, he will be able to sense the person's mood swings as long as they are slightly violent within more than ten miles. If the other party is also an innate master, then there are many variables. If the other party is better than him in cultivation, or is good at convergence, it will be difficult to detect the other party's existence. For example, Duan Lingxiao assassinated Jiang Zhe that day, even though he knew it in advance. Arrangement, but before Duan Lingxiao took action, Li Shun did not clearly feel Duan Lingxiao's existence. If the other party was like the man in the dark, he had not long been promoted to the innate realm, his cultivation was still shallow, and he had not yet reached the soul-locking realm. For Li Shun, It is said that this kind of innate master is more likely to leave traces on his heart than the ordinary master who is hostile.

Of course, if they reach the level of Master Fengyi and Master Cizhen, there is no way they can conceal their existence. Therefore, although they had never met each other in Yongdu in the past, they saw each other's changes in mood and actions as if they were witnesses. Normally, if he was in front of those two people, Li Shun knew that it would be impossible to hide his emotions. Fortunately, a person with the status of a master would not take action easily.

Li Shun thought for a while, and already made a guess from the familiar but slightly unfamiliar aura. Moreover, the man had murderous intent but not murderous intention, and his identity was even more obvious. He smiled coldly, swept into the darkness, and passed through the company camp in the blink of an eye. We arrived at a remote hill outside the camp. Under the waning moon and sparse stars, a young man in black robe stood on a hill, his expression indifferent and lonely. Standing next to him was a young man in black, carrying a piano bag behind him, and his expression was a little gloomy. When Li Shun saw these two people, a faint smile appeared on his lips, and he said loudly: "It turns out that Mr. Qiu is back. How is the scenery of the East China Sea?"

Qiu Yufei said indifferently: "Do you think I'm here to assassinate you?"

Li Shun shook his head and said: "You are a smart man, you should know that it is impossible, but why did the young master let you out so quickly? If it weren't for the young master's handwriting, you would never have been able to escape from Jinghai Villa."

Qiu Yufei took a deep look at Li Shun and said: "Your young master has a far-reaching plan for his actions. Letting me out will naturally be of use to me, but I may not let him get what he wants. I wanted to see him this time. , ask him a few words, but I heard that you are in Li Xian's camp. I think he won't see me even if I come. You don't have to worry that I will assassinate him. If I dare to take action, I'm afraid that Sang The master will not let me go. I dare not speculate on Mr. Sang's state, but even the master may not be able to win. I have sent a message to Jinyang that no one from the Demon Sect will assassinate the Marquis of Chuxiang. Mr. Sang will do it. The backup is that even Master is unwilling to commit murder. What's more, the situation in the Northern Han Dynasty has deteriorated to this point. Even if Master takes action, nothing can be restored. We, the Demon Sect, will not do such reckless things."

Li Shun raised his hand and said, "Young Master Qiu said it well. If you had been so smart back then, I'm afraid it would be difficult for the Young Master to use you to create a wedge between you."

Qiu Yufei's face changed several times, and he said after a while: "Sure enough, I fell into a trick that day. I received a letter from the Marquis of Chuxiang a few days ago. There were many apologies in the letter, so I already had suspicions. I made repeated guesses. After hearing from Mr. Sang, After some advice, I realized that I had been deceived in the past.”

Li Shun smiled slightly. If he had known Jiang Zhe's intentions, he would definitely reveal the truth about Shi Ying's injustice at this time and use it to attack Duan Wudi. When Qiu Yufei suddenly returned to Northern Han, he expected that Jiang Zhe would give up the truth. He knew that under temptation, it would not happen as expected.

Qiu Yufei sighed softly, turned around and was about to leave, but then stopped and said, "Suiyun and I met on the road that day. Although I had ill intentions, I still regarded him as a close friend. I didn't know that he was always hypocritical. pretend?"

Li Shun said solemnly: "Even if the young master is very scheming, if it weren't for your talent and refined character, how could the young master give me the Qingyuan piano score as a gift? The musical score was the hard work of my late father. If the young master was hypocritical, how could he bear the pain and give up his love? Your Excellency." If you still resent the young master because of the hostility, you can do whatever you want, but you must not doubt the sincerity of the young master that day."

Qiu Yufei was silent for a long time, then walked away. The young man was Ling Duan, following behind him, and not long after, the two of them disappeared into the night.

A chill flashed in Li Shun's eyes, and he looked at Pingyao City as if through the darkness. Su Qing should have made arrangements now. Rumors must have spread from Pingyao to Jinyang that Long Tingfei was caught in a divorce plot and forced Quartz to death. , now that Long Tingfei is dead, the people involved in the past will be under greater pressure. Duan Wudi played a big role in this matter, and will inevitably be harshly criticized by the upper class of the Northern Han Dynasty. Even if Princess Jiaping and others understand Duan Wudi's innocence, he may not be able to forgive his behavior.

Li Shun couldn't help but feel sad when he thought of the secret bag that the young master had secretly stuffed into him when he was ordered to hand it to Su Qing when the King of Qi marched on the army. Under the dim moonlight, he opened the bag from He took out a short card with a few lines of words written on it.

"Instruct Su Qing to spread rumors and mention the things that alienated Shi Ying in the past, so as to mess up Duan's invincible military spirit. Duan has a kind heart and refuses to betray others. He will be ashamed to death. If there is any mistake in his actions, he will take advantage of the opportunity. He will have no role in the court. People are at the critical moment of life and death in the Northern Han Dynasty, and they are easy to take advantage of."

Li Shun smiled faintly, rubbed his right hand gently, and the short scarf was wiped out.

On the second day, Li Xian began to attack Pingyao. It was a completely satisfactory combat method. With the Yong army's strong strength and continuous offensive, the progress was quite smooth. At the end of the day, Li Xian personally commanded one side of the siege wall. The defense began to show signs of collapse. Under the fierce attack of the trebuchet, a corner of the city wall suddenly collapsed. The Yong army immediately cheered loudly. Following the gap in the city wall, countless Yong troops began to attack inward with the help of ladders and other siege equipment. Near the gap The Northern Han army resisted desperately, but they still could not stop the Yong army's offensive.

At this time, Duan Wudi calmly issued the military order. The guards around him looked at him almost in disbelief, but his usual majesty made him pass the order without hesitation. The Northern Han army guarding the gap heard After giving the order, a passage was immediately opened. When the pressure in front suddenly eased and the Yong army who had attacked the city cheered, the machine spring rang, and the Northern Han army, which had been waiting for a long time, launched its powerful crossbows. These crossbows were wrapped with black powder. Saltpeter and other igniting materials were ignited and shot into the Yong army. The successive explosions immediately caused the Yong army to be in chaos. At this time, the Northern Han army who had been hiding aside swarmed up, defeated and killed them, and took advantage of the frustration of the Yong army's offensive. At the same moment, the Northern Han army poured down the kerosene, and then threw down the torches. Flames were blazing below the city, and blood was flowing on the city.

When the last Yong army was killed, Duan Wudi approached the city wall and pressed his hands on the blood-soaked walls on both sides. Looking down, he saw that the Yong army began to retreat as quickly as the ebb of the sea. The faint pressure and power made Duan Wudi's face become colder and colder. Looking back at the smoldering ruins of the city and the enemy camps stretching for dozens of miles away, Duan Wudi felt a chill in his heart.

Although he had driven back the enemy troops, he was not at all relieved. Although Yong's army only started to attack the city today, rumors have spread in the city since the day before yesterday. Although no one on the city dared to discuss it face to face, Duan Wudi knew that the rumors were about his smuggling of stolen goods and was reported by Shi Ying, while he was in Longting. Fei Mian made slanderous remarks, framed Shi Ying as guilty, and tortured Shi Ying to death. The guards around him were very angry and requested several times to find out and kill those who spread rumors, but Duan Wudi forcibly suppressed them. It's not that he doesn't know the importance of stable military morale in defending the city, but he can't pursue the matter seriously because in addition to his own old troops, 30% of the troops in his hands are Quartz's old troops, and most of the people spreading rumors are Quartz Old Ministry. They didn't do this intentionally. Which soldier doesn't want his general to love his soldiers like his own son and fight bravely. If he is under the command of a general with a stigma, the shame will never be washed away in his lifetime. In the past, after Shi Ying's death, his reputation was completely ruined. I don't know how much humiliation these old tribes suffered because of it. Now that they know that their general was persecuted to death, how could they not tell each other. For them, since the "deceived" coach General Long is dead, the person who needs to be responsible for this is naturally the "slanderous" Duan Wudi. As a result, everyone in Quartz's old tribe was resentful, and even some of his own subordinates were suspicious. However, Duan Wudi was unable to do anything about this situation. If he wanted to clear up the rumors, many innocent soldiers would inevitably be affected. He was afraid that before the enemy troops could attack the city, his own side would have already killed each other. In desperation, Duan Wudi He could only use the current severe military situation to temporarily suppress the troops. If he could return to Jinyang, there would still be a chance to save the morale of the army. He could only comfort himself in this way.

At this time, under the "protection" of two Northern Han sergeants, Xuan Song walked up to the city. His injuries had gradually healed. Although there were scars on his face, he could move freely. Since the Northern Han army withdrew from Qinyuan After that, he was in Duan Wudi's army, and Duan Wudi was quite polite to him. As long as it was not at a critical time of marching or fighting, although the supervision was strict, it was not harsh, so he could come to the city at this time. Looking at the dilapidated scene at the top of the city, Xuan Song felt a little sad. He had already learned about the bloody battle just now from the Northern Han Army. Of course, this was because those Northern Han Army soldiers wanted to attack him, General Dayong, so he naturally He knew what the bloodstains on the top of the city represented, but he didn't show any sadness. As a general of Dayong, he should have had the awareness to die in battle. What use could sadness and sympathy be? Could he have prevented the Yong army from attacking the city in order to reduce casualties? Could he have persuaded the Northern Han army to give up resistance. Only the unification of the world can prevent such bloody battles, which do not matter what is right or wrong, from happening again.

Seeing Duan Wudi's back, Xuan Song felt respect in his heart. It was this man who had fought hard for many days and hindered the Yong army's attack, allowing millions of Northern Han soldiers and civilians the opportunity to retreat and escape. Xuan Song knew clearly , although Dayong also has strict military discipline, this does not guarantee that innocent Northern Han civilians will not be harmed. This man is loyal and loves the people. If he can be persuaded to surrender, Dayong will get good generals and ministers. Thinking of this, Xuan Song laughed loudly and said: "When it comes to defending the city, no one in the world can beat General Duan. His Highness, King Qi, can count them in one day." All the fierce attacks were repulsed by Your Excellency, but the Yong army is strong and there are no reinforcements outside the general. The morale of the troops in the city is unstable and they are short of food and grass. I don’t know how many days they can hold it."

Duan Wudi didn't look back and said calmly: "Just keep it for two more days. Princess Jiaping has sent a military order that all the people in Jinyang can enter the city. By then there will be millions of soldiers and civilians in Jinyang, and there will be no shortage of food, grass and weapons. It’s easy to keep it for a year and a half.”

Xuan Song sighed: "Even so, how long can the Northern Han Dynasty last? Although no one told me, I know how unfavorable the current situation is for you. Let's not talk about General Long's martyrdom. When you see Princess Jiaping ordering to shrink the defense line to Jinyang, you know that you have no hope of victory. You can only rely on Jinyang's favorable location to hold on and retain the last chance of survival. Unless I, Dayong, have to withdraw my troops in the end, the fall of the Northern Han Dynasty is a foregone conclusion. . General Duan, even if you don’t cherish your own life, don’t you also cherish the lives of your soldiers? Now, Yong’s army has surrounded Pingyao. His Highness the King of Qi is just worried that you will attack the grain road from behind. Plus there is plenty of time. That’s why we attack the city with all our strength, otherwise as long as tens of thousands of people are left to surround Pingyao, the army can continue to move north. If you want to defend for two more days, I’m afraid you will never have a chance to return to Jinyang.”

Duan Wudi did not refute. He and Xuan Song had talked at length several times in the past few days. Although both sides were wary and just wanted to get more information, they both respected each other's talents and both were good at defense. He is a general, so Xuan Song only took a few glances to know what was true in the city. What Xuan Song said was true, and there were some things that Duan Wudi already knew but did not reveal to Xuan Song, such as the news that Yong Emperor Li Zhi personally marched and that Li Zhi's army had cut off the road between Daizhou and Xinzhou. Duan Wudi was extremely uneasy about this matter. Although the Daizhou Army had been forced to stay in Jinyang because they had no way to return home, even Princess Jiaping had officially accepted the imperial edict and became a member of the Northern Han Army in Jinyang. General Yang, but Duan Wudi had a vague feeling that this might be a very important move by Yong's army, which might cause the Northern Han Dynasty to collapse. It's a pity that he is a soldier, and he still doesn't understand some things very well. Regarding Emperor Yong's move, he just instinctively felt that it was dangerous, but he didn't know its true meaning.

Xuan Song saw that Duan Wudi acquiesced to what he said, and added: "Besides, General Duan's situation doesn't seem to be good..." Just after he said this, Duan Wudi raised his hand to stop him from continuing, and said in a deep voice: "Yi Yuxin The good thing is that even though he died nine times, he still has no regrets." Xuan Song's body trembled, he looked at Duan Wudi's resolute face, and finally sighed: "Since General Duan has no regrets, Xuan doesn't want to dishonor the general's innocence. It is an eternal tragedy to have a name that is only trustworthy and doubtful, and loyal but slandered. Although your king is not a fatuous king, he is still too cautious in this time of danger. I hope that if the point of no return is reached, the general will be too careful. Don’t be foolish and loyal to the end.”

Duan Wudi finally turned around and said calmly: "If I let General Xuan go back, how can you repay me?"

Xuan Song had been prepared for a long time. If he had not been used for something, he would have either killed him early or handed him over to Princess Jiaping to take him to Jinyang. Why bother to stay in the army and look at Duan Wudi's haggard and calm face? , he said with a smile: "A general who traps an enemy has no right to act independently. If you have such intention, you might as well send an envoy to see His Highness the King of Qi."

Duan Wudi said calmly: "We have to guard for one more day before we have room for bargaining."

Xuan Song couldn't help but smile bitterly. He didn't expect that he had become a commodity. When he met Duan Wudi's eyes, Xuan Song's bitter smile gradually faded away. He could see the deep sadness in the eyes of the man opposite him. He knew everything he said. In terms of talent, Duan Wudi is definitely above him, but he is lucky enough to be a Yongchen, but this person is unfortunately a Han general. "Although he died nine times, he still has no regrets." Being able to recite this sentence shows that he has already been in his heart. There is enlightenment. He bowed deeply and said: "If Xuan returns to Yongying, and His Highness does not blame him, he will definitely lead his army to fight against the general. If the general is unfortunately trapped, I hope the general will not seek death, but Xuan will definitely ask for help." Your Highness begs for mercy to save the general’s life and face.”

Duan Wudi was a little angry at first, but when he saw Xuan Song's extremely serious expression, his expression softened and he said: "In the past, Duan once heard that General Xuan deeply admired loyalty and had a chance encounter with Yang Can in Shu, so he Duan knows that your Excellency has given you a large sum of money so that his wife and children can live in peace. Although he cannot accept it, he should be grateful."

Although he was declined by Duan Wudi, Xuan Song was not angry at all. He just felt a little more regretful and turned to leave. Sigh, will the destruction of the Northern Han Dynasty really win the hearts and minds of the people here? For the first time, Xuan Song felt that attacking the Northern Han Dynasty might fall into a quagmire.

In the next two days, Li Xian stopped attacking the city. Duan Wudi was very confused. However, he was too busy trying to appease the undercurrent in the army to think deeply. On the fourth day, Yong's army had gathered in Pingyao, and Duan Wudi was too busy to calm down the undercurrent in the army. Although Wudi delayed Yong's army's attack on Jinyang, he fell into a deadlock from which he could not retreat. Standing at the top of the city, Duan Wudi thought, wondering if the envoy sent to Yong's army could accomplish the mission. Although it would be embarrassing to use hostages as coercion, it would be worth it if he could rescue his soldiers. He knew very well that although Xuan Song had an important position in Yong's army, he was not the chief general after all, so his request was not harsh. He only asked that Yong's army not pursue the retreating Northern Han army, and that Pingyao City would be handed over to Yong's army intact. He also promised not to burn the city's grain and grass supplies. He believed that this request was likely to succeed, because for Yong's army, his own force was insignificant, and Xuan Song had always won the hearts of the soldiers. If the King of Qi did not care about Xuan Song's life, I am afraid that the Yong army's soldiers would be resentful, and after paying for it, In the near future, he believed that the King of Qi would not do such a stupid thing where relatives would understand each other and enemies would benefit.

After receiving Duan Wudi's letter, Li Xian burst into laughter. He stopped attacking for the past two days because of this letter. After the military meeting that day, he privately called Su Qing over and asked about the situation of spreading rumors. He understood Jiang Zhe's intentions, and later received a letter from Jiang Zhe, which made his heart feel like a mirror. In order to make the rumors more realistic, he simply stopped attacking. In this way, the rumor that Duan Wudi was willing to surrender seeing the dangerous situation could be released. With everyone talking, Li Xian believed that Duan Wudi could not hold on for long. And even if there were no other benefits, being able to rescue Xuan Song was already worth it. Thinking of the farewell that day and night, Li Xian still felt pain in his heart, so he not only immediately agreed to Duan Wudi's conditions, but also sent an envoy to Pingyao. This messenger is none other than Su Qing.