The Grandmaster Strategist

After the prince was bound, Quan Xiang ordered his party members to be arrested, so that all the generals would have the military power and delay the plan.

The eldest son of the Duke, Ziyun, was sixteen years old. He watched the battle in Huaixi from a stone. He was known for his bravery. Many people who watched him gained his strength and loved him very much. There is a woman named Yujin, seventeen years old, who is also good at fighting. She wears silver armor, rides a white horse, carries a spear and a bow, and goes out side by side with the clouds, regardless of Xuanjin.

In the thirteenth year of Tongtai's reign, the Empress Dowager wanted to make Princess Yun Shang Shuning, the virtuous Shu Ning, whom everyone envied. Yun Du was unwilling and said to his father: "I would like to marry someone who shares the same ideals as my wife." Gong and Guan had already agreed, so Promise.

When the imperial envoy arrived in Shouchun, the father-in-law wanted to hand over his beloved daughter to the custody of the imperial envoy to avoid disaster in Shouchun. Upon hearing this, Yu Jin was furious and carried her daughter out of the city regardless of his body weight. The righteousness and righteousness were respected, so the imperial envoy sent troops to chase her. There were so many dead and injured, and the two women were nowhere to be found. The imperial envoy was afraid that Yun would not surrender, so he ordered Guanti's army to go to Zhongli.

Seeing that it was too late, he raised his troops five days later and arrived at Zhongli. After waiting for a long time, he heard the imperial edict and said: "Lu's loyalty is a lesson learned from heaven and man." He calmly bound him. At that time, Yun led the flying cavalry camp. The elite troops were at the Jianghuai River. All the troops wanted to intercept them. Yun ordered them to return to the camp, but no one dared to stop them. Their reputation had reached this point.

——"The Biography of Duke Zhongwu, the History of Chu in the Southern Dynasties"

The third day of October, Chuzhou.

Pei Yun stood on the Zhenhuai Tower, depressed, and the autumn colors in front of him had lost their luster. The results of the Jingxiang War had already reached his ears, and he was dumbfounded by the complicated and confusing war. Lu Can's troops came out of Yiyang, took advantage of the opportunity to attack Xiangyang, and then The fierce battle in Gucheng, the confrontation in Xiangyang, all the changes were eye-catching, and the loss of Xiangyang was even more puzzling, until we learned that Lu Can was relieved of military power by Zhao Long, the leader of the Southern Chu Kingdom, and summoned to Jianye , Pei Yuncai vaguely understood that the bloody battle between Jingxiang and Xiangyang changed hands all because of one Lu Can. But even after thinking about this, Pei Yun became more and more horrified.

Military strategists say that Jingxiang is the most important place in the world. The Yangtze River runs from east to west and connects Wu and Shu. It is also convenient to enter Hunan and Jiangxi from the river; the Han River meanders from Jiangxia to the north to the northwest, and flows from the northwest of Xiangyang to Hanzhong and Jiangxi. There are passages from Guanzhong to Nanyang and Luoyang from the north, either by water or by land. If you want to conquer the world, you must occupy Jingxiang. Whenever the world falls apart and the princes seize control, Jingxiang is the first battlefield to be attacked. Within the territory of Jingxiang, Xiangyang, Jiangling, and Jiangxia are all important military towns, and Xiangyang is the most important military town. Southern Chu occupies Xiangyang, which can go north to the Central Plains, and Dayong occupies Xiangyang, which can deter Jingxiang. As early as the founding of the Yong Dynasty, Xiangyang was always watched. However, at that time, Xiangyang was guarded by Prince Zhao Jue of Germany and was as stable as Mount Tai. Yong's army was repeatedly frustrated under the deep fortress of Xiangyang's fortified city. Countless warriors broke their halberds and sank into the sand. Xiangyang This is the hatred in the hearts of Dayong soldiers. It wasn't until the eighth year of the Emperor's reign that Jiang Zhe devised a plan to use Yang Xiu's opportunity to attack Huaidong to lure the enemy northward, and then took advantage of the opportunity to capture Xiangyang. Once Xiangyang fell into the hands of Dayong, Nanchu had no chance to counterattack. Although Lu Can defended Jiangnan impregnably, he was unable to endanger Dayong's foundation.

Due to the importance of Xiangyang, even Emperor Yong himself would not dare to abandon such an important town easily. However, Jiang Zhe actually used such an important place as a bait and let it go. Although Xiangyang was finally taken back, after the fire, only the ruined lonely city was left. , the people of Xiangyang crossed south one after another, and it was difficult for Xiangyang to restore its old outlook within a few years. Regardless of Jiang Zhe's great work, what made Pei Yun even more worried was that according to the news he got from Shaolin, Emperor Yong and Li Zhi had not been killed before this battle. Unexpectedly, Jiang Zhe had no idea that Jiang Zhe was just pretending to do it. Regardless of the thrill of this battle, Jiang Zhe's courage made Pei Yun horrified. If Emperor Yong questioned him, it would probably be a serious crime that would be difficult to escape. If you were an outsider, you might still watch with cold eyes. Jiang Zhe's favor has already made many people dissatisfied. When the war was at an end, he was still swimming in the mountains and rivers without asking about military affairs, which caused many impeachment memorials to be added to Emperor Yong's case. , now that he has committed such a serious crime, I am afraid that even Princess Changle of Ning Kingdom cannot protect him. Some people may want to take advantage of this opportunity to add insult to injury, but Pei Yun cannot think so. Regardless of the fact that Jiang Zhe's son Jiang Shen is a close disciple of his mentor, even he has received a lot of care from Jiang Zhe in recent years. Three years ago, when Yang Xiu attacked Chuzhou and Sizhou, Pei Yun could be said to have been defeated.

Moreover, Luo Jing, the governor of Chuzhou County, was assassinated beforehand. This incident greatly offended the uncle Gao Rong. In addition, Yangzhou was defeated. Many ministers in the court wrote letters, hoping to order Emperor Yong to punish Pei Yun. If not for the support of Jiang Zhe , Emperor Yong thought about his past rescue efforts, but he was afraid that Pei Yun was now in prison. In the past few years, Pei Yun has gathered strength and strength, and the Xuzhou camp has regained its combat strength. It is the time when he is eager to fight. If Jiang Zhe is demoted, Pei Yun is afraid that he will also be implicated. Once he loses military power, wouldn't it be impossible to clean up the defeat? Therefore, compared to ordinary people, Pei Yun was most worried about Jiang Zhe's situation.

Pei Yun, who was so worried that he didn't even hear Du Lingfeng's footsteps going up the stairs, didn't react until Du Lingfeng's voice came to his ears. He only heard Du Lingfeng's report: "General, a letter has arrived from Xuzhou. Your Majesty, Your Majesty." After receiving the decree, he reprimanded Prince Qi, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and General Changsun. Marquis Jiang was demoted by two levels of nobility, and later an edict was issued to remove the Marquis from the post of counselor to Jiangnan."

Pei Yun was shocked, but he hid his worries and said with a serious face: "It is inevitable that the Holy Emperor is so angry. Is there no one in the court to protect the memorial? In any case, Xiangyang is still in the hands of our army."

Du Lingfeng hesitated for a moment and said: "The news from Chang'an said that the emperor was furious when he heard the battle report. Although Shi Xiang and other lords were calm, Xiahou Yuanfeng of Mingjian Division took the opportunity to criticize Jianghou for being negligent. Duty, and the whereabouts of Marquis Jiang in the past three years were reported one by one. The emperor was furious and ordered to reprimand the Marquis. He also wanted to remove the Marquis from his post. If Shi Xiang had not begged for mercy, he would have lost the title of Marquis of the countryside. It can’t be saved.”

Pei Yun sighed softly in his heart, turned his eyes, and saw that Du Lingfeng was also uneasy on his face, so he smiled and said: "Since you last accompanied Marquis Jiang to Xiangyang, you have been trembling even when you mention Marquis Jiang's name. Now Marquis Jiang has been Sin, you should be happy, but why are you like this?"

Du Lingfeng said in surprise: "It's no wonder Ling Feng, my uncle didn't know that the last time he went to Xiangyang with Jianghou, I still have lingering fears when I think about it. At that time, Jingxiang was still a part of Nanchu, and Jianghou actually stayed in Xianshan for many days. In the disciple's heart He was always worried that if the Chu army found out that Marquis Jiang had been harmed, not to mention his life, he was afraid that the division would be harmed. However, Marquis Jiang did not care about us guards at all, and even went to look at Xiangyang City Tower from a distance. General Hu Yan and several of the bodyguards were also trembling with fear, fearing that something would happen. No wonder people said that Marquis Jiang had a weird temperament, and Ling Feng just hoped that he would never have to serve him again. But now that Marquis Jiang was convicted, his disciples felt uneasy. It’s not for the sake of his uncle. He has always regarded fame and wealth very lightly, and the emperor also values ​​his uncle very much. Even if he is implicated, it won’t be a serious problem. But for some reason, the disciple always feels that Jiang Hou If you are demoted, I'm afraid it will be even more dangerous."

Pei Yun's heart moved. He didn't expect that this nephew, who was always straightforward and not very scheming, would have such spiritual thoughts. Back then, his master, Master Cizhen, once said that Jiang Zhe was a man of deep wisdom, deep scheming, feminine and cunning, and there was an evil shadow around him. If a master like Li Shun is not bound and is allowed to roam freely, a single thought on his part may lead to shocking chaos. Fortunately, this person was used by Emperor Yong. Although he pitied the heroes of the world, he was able to unify the country and the mountains, which was an unparalleled achievement. Moreover, this person was restrained by imperial power, which could also eliminate many hidden dangers. He had just learned that Jiang Hou had been demoted, and he was worried in his heart. If Jiang Zhe alienated Yong Ting because of this, or even escaped into the lake, it would probably not be the best luck for the world. Unexpectedly, Du Lingfeng also vaguely thought of this. It seems that after many years of experience, this nephew is no longer the reckless young man he used to be. He smiled slightly and said, "Come to my place these days in the evening. I want to see your arrival."

Du Lingfeng was overjoyed when he heard this, knowing that his uncle was going to teach him martial arts, so he couldn't help but gear up. Pei Yun looked at it and smiled secretly in his heart, saying: "Okay, I'm a little tired too, let's go to Dujialou for a drink." Since three years ago, Du Lingfeng was very happy. After the sudden change in the former Chuzhou, the Du Family Restaurant became famous in Jianghuai. Zhuang Qingpu's righteous act of revenge for his teacher and the Du Family Restaurant's green plum wine became famous in Jianghuai. Even Pei Yun now loves this wine deeply, but because of his prominent reputation, it is inconvenient to drink it often. He just went to the restaurant. He was feeling depressed today, so he wanted to go to Dujialou to relax.

Although Dujialou is well-known in Jianghuai, it is still the same as it was in the past. It has not been expanded, and the green plum wine has not been brewed as much as before. Although the shopkeeper Du is a merchant, he has quite the style of the forest. If you are not a talented person, you will not be able to buy a bottle of green plum wine even if you pay a lot of money. If you are a suave and romantic person, you can still get a bottle of fine wine even if you are penniless. As a result, the reputation of green plum wine has become more and more famous. Many ordinary people who cannot drink green plum wine will probably drink a few bottles of Dujia's aged wine. Dujialou is almost crowded. If you don't book a table in advance, you will definitely be rejected. outside the door. But Pei Yun certainly doesn't need to worry. There is a pair of seats upstairs that remain idle all year round, just to be on guard against people like Pei Yun, or celebrities from Jianghuai who come by chance but have no seats.

After changing into casual clothes and walking on the street, Pei Yun felt much better. When he arrived at Du's house, shopkeeper Du came out to greet him after hearing the news, but there was a strange look on his face. Pei Yun didn't pay attention and just walked up to the second floor. , then I heard a clear and gentle voice saying: "The mist locks the Qin Tower in the morning, adding to the sorrow of separation. I tilt the cup to the golden pot in the wind. It is difficult to stay after singing in the Yangguan, this hatred is long. The sleeves are full of green plums, and there are sparse snow flakes. It has been brewed for many years. Make the wine of the Du family. After drinking, you will stand on the boat in the lonely cold, and you will rest after getting drunk. Zhuang Qingpu's poem has a profound artistic conception, which shows his talent. It is really a pity that he died young."

Pei Yun was slightly startled. Although Zhuang Qingpu was respected and loved by the people of Chuzhou, he was the one who assassinated the county guard after all. Therefore, few people praised him in public, so as not to fall into the ears of Yong Jun and cause trouble. And the tone of this man's words When he heard it, he immediately felt that he was from Chang'an. Since he was from Yong, why did he praise Zhuang Qingpu so openly?

Suspicious in his heart, he couldn't help but hesitate, but he heard a familiar voice in his ears: "Although there is nothing wrong with Ziliang's words, you should be careful with what you say."

Pei Yun was even more shocked when he heard this. He had just been demoted. How could he have arrived in Chuzhou again? He turned his eyes and found that apart from some elite guards with faint glints in their eyes, who were easily recognized as masters and elite guards, sitting around, there were no other people upstairs. There were no local drinkers, so he was even more shocked. After straightening his clothes, he stepped forward and bowed to the side room where the voice came from, and said: "Master Hou stooped to come here, why didn't you tell Pei Yun so that the general could hold a banquet for you?" The Marquis is the one who takes the wind and washes away the dust."

Jiang Zhe's elegant voice came from the curtain and said: "Jiang has now been relieved of his position as counselor. If not for His Majesty's grace, I am afraid that his title would not have been reduced by only two levels. Why would General Pei be so polite and come here today?" , I just remembered the green plum wine here, fortunately, Lao Du left a few jars, so I didn’t have to go back and forth in vain."

Pei Yun walked in through the curtain and said with a smile: "I admire the Marquis for being unfazed by favors and humiliations. However, I think your Majesty will eventually understand the Marquis' painstaking efforts and can make Lu Can lose his military power. Even if he loses Xiangyang, he may not be able to get it back, let alone Xiangyang." I haven't lost it yet." I couldn't help but secretly wonder who the person Jiang Zhe called "Ziliang" was, and why Jiang Zhe's voice sounded somewhat respectful. When he walked into the wing, Pei Yun was shocked. The person sitting with Jiang Zhe, tasting wine and chatting, was actually a boy of eighteen or nineteen years old. He had a handsome appearance. Although he was wearing an ordinary yellow shirt, he looked dignified. Extraordinary, power was not revealed, and what shocked Pei Yun was that the young man was actually the prince Li Jun, the deputy commander of Jiangnan Xingyuan.

With thousands of thoughts running through his mind, Pei Yun knelt down on one knee and said, "I will bow to His Highness the Crown Prince Qian Qian Sui. I didn't know His Highness was coming, so I didn't greet him in person. Please forgive me."

Li Jun stood up, stretched out his hand to support him and said: "General Pei is standing alone. The general guards Chuzhou and prevents the Huaidong Army of Southern Chu from marching north to Qingxu. His hard work has made great achievements. Gu Yixiang knows this very well and I admire him deeply. Please don't be too polite."

Jiang Zhe had a lazy look on his face and sat motionless on the table, but he didn't see anything strange about Li Jun. Pei Yun remembered that he had heard people say that Prince Li Jun and Jiang Zhe were very close. Now it seems that it is true. Seeing Jiang Zhe all over again There was no frustrated expression as expected after being demoted, and Li Jun obeyed in obedience. The worries in his heart were swept away. He stood up and said calmly: "Your Highness and the Marquis went to Chuzhou in obedience. They must have taught them. After three years of hard work, they will only be able to do it." When the military order is given, we will go south to wash away the humiliation of the defeat that day, and please give us instructions from Your Highness."

I couldn't help but yawned, and thought to myself: "Pei Yun must have been bored to death in the past few years. Sichuan, Jingxiang, and Huaixi are all fighting fiercely every year. Only Huaidong is almost calm. When I see Li Jun is going to ask for a fight, he is really impatient." Looking at Li Jun who was talking to Pei Yun in some superficial but sincere words, he felt more and more depressed. This time, he designed to drive a wedge between the generals and ministers of Southern Chu, and even devised a strategy to greatly consume the hostile forces. However, he also had the desire to retreat bravely, so he deliberately concealed some key things from Li Zhi, especially in the past. After three years of debauchery, as expected, after the Battle of Xiangyang, the reports of impeachment against me came like a snowflake. As expected, Li Zhi was furious and demoted my title and military position. This was within my expectation, and it would allow Nanchu Hunjun Quan Xiang to deal with Lu Can with peace of mind. As for the blow of losing Jun's favor, Li Zhi's support is not needed for the next thing anyway. I was still thinking that after this incident, I would take advantage of the situation and retire to avoid seeing the fall of my motherland. Unexpectedly, just after hearing the order of disparagement with satisfaction, Li Zhi secretly received a secret order of commendation. Li Zhi didn't blame me at all for acting without permission, and even said that Nan Chu's loss of Lu Can alone could defeat ten cities. Seeing that the escape plan has come to nothing again, it makes me feel angry. If I hadn't still been obsessed with the unfinished business in Nanchu, I really wanted to escape immediately. I just don’t know how things are progressing over there. I think there will be results within a month or two.

December 5th, Jianye.

Yu Lun walked out of Shang Chengye's private house. It was already midnight. The light snow that had been falling all day long had stopped at some point. In the dark night sky, there was no trace of star and moon light at all. The lantern in his hand was shining brightly in this misty night. Zhong Ye could only dispel the darkness in a radius of about ten feet, and Song Yu felt that his soul was as dim as the dark night. After walking in a daze for an unknown amount of time, Yu Lun stopped. There was a dark wooden door in front of him. A green palace lantern hung on the door. The light was not very bright, but in Song Yu's heart, he felt that this was the darkness. The only glimmer of light. Here is Liu Rumeng’s residence in Jianye, Liuyuan. Since the beginning of winter, the coldness has doubled, so Liu Rumeng abandoned the boat and lived in the city. Although Liuyuan is not big, it is quiet and elegant, which often makes people feel like they don't want to go back. He stretched out his hand to knock on the door, but Yuolun suddenly felt timid. He stretched out his hand in the air, but could not move forward any further.

I vaguely remembered that before leaving today, Liu Rumeng stood in the snow holding a red paper umbrella and wearing plain clothes to see each other off. She lightly opened her lips and said, "Sir, even though Rumeng is a man in the world, he knows that everyone The general is loyal and loyal, sir. If you can persuade him to make a tactful speech to the prime minister and avoid the dispute between the general and the prime minister, it will be a blessing for the country. If the orchids are covered with frost and the jade pillars are falling, wouldn't it be self-destruction of the Great Wall and nothing more? It makes relatives sad and enemies happy."

But how did he do it? When Shang Chengye told him worriedly that Shang Weijun was still hesitant, he said: "It doesn't matter whether General Lu rebelled, it's just that Shang Xiang was so offended this time. General, I don’t know if the general will forget this matter. This time, the general was arrested without hesitation, and even ordered the generals not to cause trouble, but I don’t know if he will be so willing to risk life and death, honor and humiliation next time, and let the Prime Minister add to the crime." Looking at Shang Chengye's thoughtful expression, Yu Lun knew that Lu Can was one step closer to death.

In less than two months, things in the world have been turned upside down. Not to mention that since the Battle of Xiangyang in Dayong, both the King and the Crown Prince of Qi have been reprimanded. Even Jiang Zhe, who had always been favored by the emperor, was demoted and fined. Within a few days There is even news that Jiang Zhe's military post has been relieved by Emperor Yong, and there are even signs of Yong's army shrinking its defense line. Various signs indicate that the war that has lasted for several years may be stopped. However, in this way, the foreign invasion will be gone, and the internal situation in Nanchu will be reduced. The contradiction has become more acute.

Since Lu Can was sent to Jianye, the leader of the country, Zhao Long, only met him briefly and jailed Lu Can. Lu Can's wife and children who stayed in Jianye were also put under house arrest. Even Lu Yun, who led the army in Huaixi, also After being taken to the capital by Ti Qisuo, only Lu Can's son Lu Feng, his third daughter Lu Mei and his eldest daughter-in-law Shi Xiu were missing. However, neither Lu Feng nor Lu Mei were adults, and Shi Xiu was Shi Guan's daughter. Seeing Shi Guan's interest and cooperation, Shang Weijun naturally did not go too far and just ordered the arrest. However, although he didn't care much, experts from Fengyi Sect came out frequently to search for the whereabouts of the three people. Yuolun didn't know why Fengyi Sect was so nervous. After some time, he learned from Shang Chengye that someone from Fengyi Sect A master went to Huaixi to help the imperial envoy capture the Lu family, but their lives and deaths were unknown and they disappeared without a trace. Shang Chengye only felt a little gloating about this incident, but Yu Lun secretly speculated in his heart, whether it was a secret operation?

He didn't know how long he had been at a loss, but Yu Lun suddenly felt a wisp of sword energy coming from the darkness. His long experience of life and death made him wake up immediately. In a flash, his figure had already avoided the sword energy like a ghost, and his body was like a piece of paper. Sticking to the wall like a dead leaf, he looked into the darkness with piercing eyes, his eyes full of vigilance. Although the sword energy had no killing intent, Yuolun did not dare to ignore it at all. The folding fan in his right hand pointed forward and said coldly. : "Who is watching here?"

A clear voice came from the dark alley and said: "I'm sorry, Mr. Song. I've been waiting here for a long time for you to come back. I wanted to pay you a visit. Unexpectedly, you stood in front of the door for a long time. I was afraid that you would catch the cold, so I used some methods to wake you up." , please don’t blame me, sir.”

At this moment, Yu Lun had returned to a cold and ice-cold state of mind. He lowered his eyes and remained silent. He knew that he was uneasy just now and did not notice that there was someone in the dark. However, that person must be a master, otherwise he would not be able to hide it from his eyes and ears so easily. With his mind spinning, Yuolun said coldly: "Song is just a frivolous prodigal. What do you have to say?"

The man was silent for a moment and said: "Sir, I have a good relationship with the son of Shang Xiang. Everyone knows about Jianye. Now the general has been falsely accused and imprisoned. I don't know whether he is alive or dead. Moreover, no one knows where Shang Xiang detained the general. So I take the liberty to I came here to ask, sir, you are magnanimous and generous, not greedy for power, and everyone knows your achievements. Even Shang Chengye cannot bring you into the palace. I think you know that the general is loyal and loyal, so please feel free to give me some advice."

Yu Lun felt cold in his heart. It was not surprising that this person knew that he was friends with Shang Chengye, but how did he know that he could know where Lu Can was imprisoned? There were not many people who knew that he could influence Shang Chengye deeply. What was it? What about people who betray themselves? Thinking that Liu Rumeng in the backyard behind him was one of the people who knew, and in the past two months, she had repeatedly persuaded him to do his best for Lu Can. Could it be that she had betrayed him. Uncontrollable anger arose in his heart, and an unyielding look flashed in his eyes. He said sternly: "I do know what you want to ask, but it is impossible for me to tell you." After saying this, cold murderous aura surged from his body, In his spiritual sense, he noticed that there were two people secretly there. One of them had a powerful sword and the other had deep inner strength. Although he felt that if these two people joined forces, he would have little chance of winning. However, he became more determined and decided to fight to the death. Heart.

The man in the dark seemed to notice the change in Yu Lun's momentum. He sighed softly, walked out of the dark alley, and moved to the door. The dim light shone on his gentle and handsome face. This man was actually a commoner scholar wearing a robe. With a long sword and a domineering sword aura, his eyes were staring at Yuolun's face with a faint look of regret.

Yuolun took a step forward and waved the folding fan in his hand. The beauty on the fan seemed to be invisible, but there was a sense of aloofness in her carefree figure.

The commoner scholar cupped his fists and said, "Mr. Song may have misunderstood something. I have no ill intentions. I just want to know General Lu's situation."

Yu Lun said coldly: "The life and death of the general is a matter for the imperial court. What does it have to do with you? You are just a commoner. You have neither received the emperor's salary nor are you a member of a noble family. Why should you care about these nosy matters?"

The commoner scholar sighed: "Sir, what you said is wrong. In the past two months, the general has been imprisoned. Everyone in Southern Chu is worried about him. Not only the civil and military officials have written letters to protect him, but also the commoner scholars have complained about him. The rise and fall of the country, how can you say that you don't have anything to do with us? Sir, you have no intention of getting rich and living in the world. I heard that you are a man, and I respect you in my heart, but why are you unwilling to tell the truth? Are you bent on protecting the traitor who has betrayed the country?"

Yu Lun sneered and said: "Your Excellency, you are deceiving yourself. Although the general has made great contributions to the country, he is loyal and upright. Many Nanchu families and civil and military officials respect him, but even more hate him. Look at how many of those who have written letters to complain. He was an official of third rank or above, so what about his trusted generals? Yang Xiu remained silent, but wrote a few memorials to defend himself. He even took over the military power in Huaidong and secretly formed a friendship with the monk. Not only did Shi Guan His son-in-law was handed over to the Prime Minister, and he was even more willing to cling to the powerful. Yu Mian wanted to send troops, but unfortunately Rong Yuan blocked the river with iron ropes and forced him back, without end. And that Rong Yuan, who was also a famous loyal minister, now Three consecutive memorials were sent to impeach the general. The last one directly accused the general of collaborating with the enemy. As a result, the rebels of Southern Chu escaped death and Xiangyang was lost and recovered. These two charges were even more vicious. It was said that the general wanted to become king in Jianghuai, but he was just Regarding Wu Ying'er, these two crimes cannot be explained clearly. Not to mention this person, who among the powerful and aristocratic families in Nanchu is not thinking about killing the general in order to seize the military power he left behind. Even if there are people like you The characters worry about the general, but what's the use? Your Excellency can only deceive Song into being alone. Even if Song tells you where the general is imprisoned, what ability do you have to save him?"

The man was silent, but the man in the dark couldn't hold it in anymore. He walked to the light and said coldly: "How do you, a wandering boy, know the general's ambition? If it hadn't been for the general's suppression, I'm afraid Nanchu would have been in flames." It's just that if the general is really killed, the soldiers who are loyal to the general will no longer be able to bear it. As long as you tell where the general is imprisoned, we will never embarrass you." It was clear under the light that this The person who came later was a Taoist priest with a yellow crown.

Yu Lun smiled coldly, and swayed the fan gently, intentionally or unintentionally, as if he wanted to continue arguing with the Taoist priest. Unexpectedly, when the fan was opened and closed, a black light suddenly shot from the fan bone to Taoist Huang Guan's throat. Suddenly, the Taoist priest He didn't expect that Yu Lun's attack would be so cruel. He was caught off guard and saw that the hidden weapon was about to take his life. Unexpectedly, the sword flashed and the black light was knocked aside. The commoner scholar held a long sword with an angry look in his eyes. , said: "You must be a ruthless person with such methods, look at the sword." Before his voice fell, a line of sword light that seemed to be practiced had already struck Yu Lun.

Yuolun dodged and flew back, shaking the folding fan in his hand to block the sword. The swords and fans intersected, Yuolun's expression changed slightly. The civilian scholar's inner strength was gentle and profound, much stronger than him. One sword attack had almost caused him to lose his folding fan. After detecting the depth of the enemy, Yu Lun unfolded his body, just wandering around, looking for opportunities to strike. The swordsmanship of the civilian scholar was bright and upright, the defense was tight, and the attack was steady, just like a famous general leading an army to attack a city, there was no gap at all. Yu Lun was worried in his heart, this kind of swordsmanship was most suitable to deal with his first-rate assassin's martial arts. Unless he took advantage of his unpreparedness, it would be difficult for him to have a chance to succeed. Yu Lun was troubled, and the commoner scholar was also frightened. This young man's martial arts were strange and ruthless. He could move freely within the power of his sword, but as long as he showed any flaw, he would attack him like a ghost. After only a few moves, the civilian scholar had a strange feeling in his heart. This young man must be a killer with bloody hands, otherwise he would not have such skill and murderous intent. However, although the Confucian scholar felt a little uneasy, his sword power became more and more steady.

The two exchanged less than a hundred moves. Although they were evenly matched on the surface, Yuolun vaguely felt that his martial arts had been suppressed by the opponent's swordsmanship. He felt a strong killing intention in his heart and simply launched a move that would hurt both sides. He would not hesitate to live and die. The swordsman had a duel, and for some reason, he felt vaguely in his heart that if Liu Rumeng betrayed him, it would most likely be for this person, so he grew to hate him even more.

The Confucian scholar frowned deeply. He got the information. This Song Yu knew a lot of information that he wanted to know. Moreover, this person was always alone when he came in and out, and his temperament was quite noble. He should be able to move him with affection, so he When I came to inquire, I didn't expect that this man was willing to die for some reason. Although he would win in the end, if he killed this man, he would lose the opportunity to find out the news, and he would also alert the snake. With a thought in his mind, he frowned and said, "Mr. Song, if you continue to refuse to stop, I'm afraid my brother will be offended." After saying that, he stretched out his sword, forcing Yu Lun into more and more embarrassment, and kept retreating. Just when Yuolun exited the third step, Taoist Huang Guan flew up, a whisk appeared in his hand, and pointed straight towards Yuolun's back center. The two of them had a tacit understanding and just wanted to tap the young man's acupuncture points to restrain him. Unexpectedly, Yuolun seemed to have expected it. Just when the man touched a key point on his vest, his figure turned over like a civet cat. Regardless of the bad luck of the sword piercing his heart, he shot out three wisps of crow from the folding fan in his hand. Guang, the Taoist did not expect that he would fight with him desperately. Seeing that he was about to die under a hidden weapon, he couldn't help but roar.

At this moment, three torn silk-like piano sounds came from the silent and dark night, like sharp blades from the underworld, passing through a space of more than ten feet, and the black light emitted by the wheel was broken. At the same time, in the hands of the common scholar, The long sword and the fly whisk in Taoist Priest Huang Guan's hand were both deflected by invisible force. It was just a hair's breadth that they had avoided the tragedy of losing both sides. For a moment, the three of them were stunned and stunned.

At this time, a young man in black walked out of the darkness, his face covered with a black gauze. He walked closer and bowed and said, "Mr. Song, I have offended you so much. Please don't take offense because of our acquaintance."

Although this man had his face covered, Yuolun recognized his identity at a glance, with a look of surprise on his face, and said uneasily: "What's going on? Bai, Brother Bai."

The man bowed his head and said, "Please forgive me, Mr. Song. Daxia Ding wanted to do his best for the general, but he didn't know where he was imprisoned, so it was difficult to do anything. Moreover, if it wasn't for the evil king and the traitor to murder him, it would be inconvenient for him to rescue the general without authorization. In order to get accurate information, Daxia Ding There is an old relationship in the pavilion, so we ask each other. The master of the pavilion knows that Young Master Song may know the inside story. For the sake of justice, he has to break his past promise and guide Ding Daxia to find the young master. If I have offended, please forgive me."

Yuolun's expression changed several times, and his eyes gradually became clearer. He looked at his old colleagues in front of him, then glanced into the darkness, but stopped talking.

The man stepped forward again and said: "Mr. Song, you and the Pavilion Master have known each other for a long time. The Pavilion Master also knows that it would be too much to break a promise and trouble each other. However, please consider that General Lu is the pillar of Southern Chu and cannot be destroyed." Come on, speak freely."

Yu Lun's eyes flashed with helplessness and misery, and he said: "I have received great kindness from the Pavilion Master, and I have nothing to repay. Even if I die, I will have no regrets. Since the Pavilion Master asked me about it and told me everything I know, General Lu will be imprisoned." The Qiao family garden in the city is abandoned. I am afraid that within a few days, life and death will be clear. I also admire General Lu as a person. When General Lu dies, I will definitely go to see him off in person. If you want to know General Lu's life and death, you may wish to pay attention. Here’s my whereabouts.”

The civilian-clothed Confucian scholar and the Huangguan Taoist priest were both overjoyed and came forward to thank him, but Yuolun just smiled coldly and ignored them. At this time, a few piano sounds were heard in the dark, with a faint meaning of consolation. I thought for a while, with a mixture of sadness and joy on my face, and jumped into the willow garden without knocking on the door. Then a wisp of flute sound came from the dark, the sound was sad and filled with infinite hatred, and it disappeared in the wind in an instant.

The commoner scholar was a close friend. Hearing the melancholy hidden in the flute sound, he couldn't help but have questions in his heart. He asked the masked young man: "Brother Bai, what is the connection between Mr. Song and Tianji Pavilion? If He is reluctant and is afraid that the big thing will be ruined."

The masked young man smiled and said: "Don't worry, Master Ding. Mr. Song has a very close relationship with this pavilion. He just retired from the world a few years ago. According to the rules of our pavilion, he is no longer involved. This time, the pavilion master has no choice but to break his promise. I think he is dissatisfied." , but the pavilion master treats him with great kindness, and he is a person who values ​​love and justice, so as long as the pavilion master gives orders, he will definitely not reciprocate."

The commoner scholar felt relieved, bowed his head and said, "Please thank the Lord for your great kindness."

The young man said solemnly: "We are all doing our best for the people of the world. There is no need to talk about kindness. I take my leave. If there is anything, please tell Mr. Han to know."

After saying that, the young man quietly disappeared into the darkness. In the darkness, the music of the piano sounded, indicating that he was saying goodbye, and he disappeared for a moment.

The commoner scholar showed admiration on his face and said: "The Master of Tianji Pavilion is indeed a strange person in the world. Without his help, how could we possibly save General Lu."

The Taoist priest Huang Guan had a look of doubt on his face and said: "The master of Tianji Pavilion always covers his face with white gauze, and even his figure is hidden under his robe. Brother Ding is really sure that he is the one we met on Zhenze Lake." people?"

The commoner scholar said: "Although his appearance and body are invisible, from the sound of his piano, he must be Mr. Yun whom we met that day. However, a person like him will never reveal the truth to his face, but it is heaven's blessing to be able to get his help." , let’s not get to the bottom of it.”

The Taoist priest Huang Guan nodded repeatedly after hearing this, but he said worriedly: "After all, it is an act of disobedience to rob the prison. I still hope that the leader of the country can appreciate the general's contribution to defending the country. It would be best if he could issue a pardon." of."

The civilian-clothed Confucian scholar sighed and said: "I only hope that your kindness will be like the sea, and you will be able to appreciate the heart of your loyal ministers." After saying this, he felt that this was a delusion, so he could only sigh softly, disappear into the night, and disappear in an instant. The Taoist priest Huang Guan sighed: "The kindness of the king is great, but the orders of the ministers are light. When the prince died because of this, how could the general survive? I am just greedy." After that, he disappeared into the night. .

At this moment, in the deep palace of Nanchu, Zhao Long looked at the secret seal on Shang Weijun's inheritance and curled his lips. He was just killing a minister. Why should he be so cautious? It was submitted late at night and he had to die in secret. It was obviously a serious crime of treason, but He only sentenced his family to exile, and he had the idea of ​​​​increasing the punishment in his heart, but after thinking for a moment, he was still too lazy to do anything else, so he approved the word "can", then casually threw the fold on the table, and looked back in a daze. He walked to the palace, where there was a beauty waiting for him.