The Grandmaster Strategist

At that time, Taizong feigned an attack to the east and turned to the southwest. Fortunately, General Pei Yun responded and he was able to break out. However, the rebels pursued him for hundreds of miles. Taizong was almost surrounded several times. Fortunately, he was protected by all the generals and martyrs and was able to escape. .

——"The Chronicles of Emperor Yongshi Taizong"

Just before King Yong broke out, Pei Yun, the commander of the northern camp of the Forbidden Army, encountered an unprecedented crisis. Surrounded by his brothers, he could only face the enemy alone.

With a slight sigh, Pei Yun tore off a piece of his shirt and wrapped it around the injury on his shoulder. Opposite him, a young man with a jade-like tree and a jade-like face—Xiahou Yuanfeng—was standing next to him with a smile on his face. , are four female swordsmen in snow clothes, one of them has bright red blood on her sword edge.

Outside the six people, the Forbidden Army of Xiahou Yuanfeng surrounded the six people, and further outside were the Forbidden Army loyal to Pei Yun. The two sides were confronting each other at the moment. Xiahou Yuanfeng did not dare to force Pei Yun too much, otherwise the Forbidden Army outside would be too big. In anger, their flesh and bones might be turned into mud, and Pei Yun did not dare to let his subordinates attack, otherwise Pei Yun would be killed before he could break through the siege.

Xiahou Yuanfeng said with a smile: "General Pei, why are you so stubborn? You were originally under the command of King Qi, and His Highness King Qi was a supporter of His Highness the Crown Prince. How could King Yong's small favors to you be as great as His Highness King Qi's love back then? If General I have to rein in my horse at the brink, and I promise that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness King Qi will never embarrass the general."

Pei Yun sneered and said: "This general is the general of Dayong and is not subject to random orders. I don't believe that the emperor will issue an edict to execute King Yong, so you, Xiahou Yuanfeng, don't waste your words. Who doesn't know that you and Fengyi Clan are both here?" It's the prince's party, and the prince wants to conspire to cause rebellion, probably because he is notorious and worried that the emperor will depose him."

Suddenly the swords of the two female swordsmen were like lightning, crossing each other. Pei Yun flashed and grabbed the blade. The other two female swordsmen activated it at the right time. The saber in Pei Yun's hand turned into a copper wall. Five people fell down, and four women fell. The swordsmen still surrounded Pei Yun. Xiahou Yuanfeng pounced again, the dazzling sword light was extremely beautiful, and the four female swordsmen also activated again. Pei Yun's martial arts was already on par with Xiahou Yuanfeng's, and he was a little overwhelmed for a moment. At this time, the imperial guards outside shouted in unison Shouting loudly, Xiahou Yuanfeng smiled bitterly and had to slow down his offensive. Pei Yun could barely hold on this time.

At this moment, a cyan figure passed through the siege in an instant. Xiahou Yuanfeng felt as if his vest was being stared at by an eagle and wolf. He quickly stepped back, but was still hit by the palm wind on his back. He was unable to fight back for a moment, and the cyan figure had already Breaking into the center of the sword formation of the Fengyi Sect female swordsmen, Pei Yun felt a gentle palm wind sending him out of the sword formation. At this time, the four female swordsmen shouted softly in unison, the sword light was like snow, and they were unscrupulous. He rushed towards the man in green. The figure of the man in Tsing Yi flashed, and with his bare hands he suppressed the ferocious attacks of the four female swordsmen. After less than ten moves, the figure of the man in Tsing Yi flashed in a dizzying manner, and then four screams were heard. , the four female swordsmen were all hit in vital parts by the man in blue and fell to the ground dead. However, their crazy attacks also left traces on the man in blue, and the hem of his blue shirt was already in pieces.

Xiao Shunzi frowned and looked at the female swordsmen lying on the ground. These swordsmen were crazy and ruthless. If several of them joined forces, their power would be even greater than that of Li Hanyou and others. It seems that this is Fengyi Sect's trump card. , his eyes fell on Xiahou Yuanfeng, murderous intent gathering.

Xiahou Yuanfeng felt a chill in his heart. At this time, he had recovered his internal strength and said quickly: "Back off." After that, he rushed out.

Just as Xiao Shunzi raised his palm, Pei Yun had already shouted: "Master Li, now is not the time, it is more important to rescue His Highness."

Xiao Shunzi frowned and said nothing, and Pei Yun did not stop him. The imperial army and the imperial guards controlled by Xiahou Yuanfeng were all elite soldiers. There was no need to take action here. If he was entangled, it would be too late to rescue Li Zhi. Pei Yun Ke knew very well that if it hadn't been for King Yong over there, Xiahou Yuanfeng would not have taken action against him. What's more, Xiao Shunzi came here not to ask for help, what else could be the reason.

Xiao Shunzi hurriedly said to Pei Yun: "Wei Ying is from the prince's party.

Falsely preaching the edict, Your Highness wants to break out of the encirclement, and I want you to respond. "

Pei Yun immediately gave the order to set off. He knew the terrain of the hunting palace very well, and Xiao Shunzi led the way. Not long after, he saw the light of fire rising into the sky and heard the sound of killing. Pei Yun looked behind him. Before the incident, the new defense plan sent by Commander Huang of Dongying dispersed the four thousand forbidden troops who were leaning towards him on the west side of the hunting palace, while the thousand forbidden troops of Xiahou Yuanfeng were concentrated together. Although Pei Yun was confused at that time, he did not expect such a change. Therefore, despite the summons order, only more than two thousand people could follow him to protect King Yong. Can these few people protect King Yong from breaking out? Pei Yun thought worriedly.

When Pei Yun and Xiao Shunzi rushed to the southwest corner gate, it was when King Yong was blocked by the forbidden troops outside. The Forbidden Army in this direction is a direct descendant of General Qin. It is under the jurisdiction of Sun Ding, the deputy commander of the Dongying Forbidden Army. Sun Ding has no connection with Fengyi Sect. However, just before he deployed his defense, there was a guard of General Qin Qing who held Qin Qing's The military talisman came and issued a strict order. No matter what happens tonight, no soldier is allowed to go out in this direction. So although they were doubtful about King Yong's shouting about the prince's rebellion, King Yong had neither the emperor's order nor the order from General Qin or General Qin, so they absolutely did not dare to let King Yong pass. The dispute between the two sides turned into an endless deadlock. King Yong only had more than a hundred followers, and no matter how powerful he was, it would be difficult for him to pass through the defense line set up by the imperial army. Just when the fierce battle was at its peak, Wen Ziyan, who was pursuing him, could already be seen behind King Yong.

Pei Yun didn't care about the enemy being outnumbered and he shouted: "Your Highness, the last general, Pei Yun, is here to protect you."

A look of relief flashed across King Yong's stern face. Without Pei Yun's imperial army, it would have been difficult to rush out of the palace. He shouted loudly: "Pei Yun, open a bloody path for me to kill you."

Pei Yun loudly accepted the order, and with a wave of his hand, numerous forbidden troops rushed towards the palace gate with King Yong and his guards protected among them.

As soon as Wen Ziyan saw Pei Yun, she knew something was wrong. She flashed in the direction of King Yong. She was highly skilled in martial arts and had been to the battlefield many times back then, so she avoided the obstruction of the Forbidden Army and quickly approached King Yong. King, at this time, a green shadow rushed towards him from the sky. Wen Ziyan thrust out his sword. The green shadow grabbed it with his bare hands like a sword. Wen Ziyan was furious. This person looked down upon him too much. He concentrated his real power on him. On the sword, she heard a crisp sound at this moment, and her sword that could cut gold and jade was actually broken from it. Wen Ziyan was startled, and the man had already slapped her chest with a palm. After all, Wen Ziyan had a heart as strong as stone and had already stabbed him with a short sword. This sword move was a move that would hurt both sides. As expected, the man hesitated for a moment, and the two started fighting in the chaos. At this time, Wen Ziyan had already seen the man's face clearly. That man was none other than "Evil Shadow" Li Shun. Wen Ziyan was shocked. If she killed this person, there would be no master around King Yong who could rely on, so she calmed down and fought with Li Shun with all her strength. At this time, a female swordsman in white threw a long sword, Wen Ziyan took it smoothly, and then the Fengyi Sect's world-famous Swift Wind Sword Technique finally unfolded. The fast sword that exceeded the limits of the human body covered up the light of the sky. And the blood on the swords of both warring parties, but Li Shun's figure was very strange, looming in the sword light. If this fight was normal, some people would be amazed and impressed, but at this moment, neither side had time to pay attention.

At this time, under the charge of Jing Chi, Sima Xiong and Pei Yun, the forbidden army outside the hunting palace could no longer support it. Although Commander Yang was also a fierce general, facing Dayong generals, no matter how brave or strategic they were, he could The three generals in the top thirty finally showed their flaws, and the battle formation revealed a weak point. King Yong and others were experienced generals in the battlefield, and when they saw through it at a glance, Jing Chi shouted loudly, Ma He swept across and killed the general of the Forbidden Army who was blocking the way. The Forbidden Army was even more weakened. King Yong took the opportunity to order a fierce charge. More than a thousand cavalry rushed out of the hunting palace and disappeared in the vast night. In just a few short moments of holding incense, nearly half of Pei Yun's warriors fell within the walls of the hunting palace. At this time, several Fengyi Sect disciples had already come over, and Wen Ziyan was determined to keep Li Shun behind.

Xiao Shunzi's mind was as clear as a mirror. Although his martial arts were strong, he might not be worth the loss under the fierce attack of these swordsmen. Moreover, the forbidden troops were gradually surrounding him, and it would be too late if he didn't leave. Thinking of this, his figure suddenly stayed in the air strangely. Unexpectedly by the female swordsmen, the sword power showed flaws. Xiao Shunzi had already rushed towards Wen Ziyan. Wen Ziyan calmed down and The sword thrust out, and the sword was as powerful as thunder. Xiao Shunzi raised his right hand, but there was a hairpin sandwiched between his index fingers. When the sword edge crossed Xiao Shunzi's right rib, the hairpin It also crossed Wen Ziyan's cheek. Wen Ziyan only felt a wisp of cold air coming towards her face. She subconsciously turned her head to the side, thus avoiding the disaster of being blinded. Xiao Shunzi had already taken the opportunity to cross her side. , kicked a forbidden soldier off his horse, and rode his horse to chase King Yong.

Wen Ziyan's eyes were full of anger and said: "Bite them to death, and I will kill King Yong even if I chase them for hundreds of miles." After that, he took the reins of the horses handed over by others and took the lead in chasing King Yong and others. Wei Ying stood at a high place and frowned slightly. In this hunting palace, they could only fully control the Forbidden Army of five thousand people. The other Forbidden Army could only help them defend themselves. They could only control the Xiaoshuang Palace and hunt down King Yong. The Imperial Guards who can play cards with their cronies will go forward, so the manpower will be very tight. After thinking about it, he sent two thousand people to follow Wen Ziyan to hunt down King Yong. The remaining three thousand people should be enough to control Xiaoshuang Palace and other forbidden troops.

What a pity. Wei Ying looked at the billowing smoke and dust in the distance. He didn't know how King Yong discovered the trap and escaped from the hunting palace for him. If it hadn't been for something wrong with King Qi, Princess Qi would have stolen King Qi's treasure. However, they could mobilize King Qi's army to change defenses. They wanted them to attack King Yong's army or besiege the hunting palace, but they refused to agree, claiming that they would not obey the order unless they saw King Qi's order. It seemed that they would still have to do so. Put some effort into King Qi. Now that King Yong has escaped, if he is allowed to join the guards, without the support of King Qi's army, his side will be defeated but not victorious. Wei Ying frowned as he thought about it. He thought he had thought of everything before launching the palace coup, but he still didn't expect that King Yong would see through the false edict so quickly. What was going on?

At dawn, the crisp sound of horse hooves came from the cool mist. That night, I heard that Zi Yan led the imperial army in hot pursuit. Even though King Yong was proficient in military strategy, there was nothing he could do. King Yong originally wanted to ignore the pursuers and march with all his strength, but this time King Yong broke through in a hurry, and there were even two people riding one horse. However, the pursuers first requisitioned horses from other forbidden troops, and each person brought an average of two horses. The horse can be changed at any time, so that the speed will be much faster than King Yong and others. In desperation, King Yong took many detours, mobilized his pursuers, and set up ambushes and sneak attacks along the way, hoping to annihilate the pursuers. But the two people who led the pursuers, Commander Huang Xia was a veteran on the battlefield, and Wen Ziyan was an assassin who had been on the battlefield for many years. One of the two was cautious and proficient in the art of war, and the other was highly skilled in martial arts. They were the best. Scout, King Yong did not take any advantage along the way.

A clever woman cannot make a fool of herself. Regardless of the strength or speed, King Yong has no advantage. The advantage in tactics is offset by the powerful force. King Yong has never been so embarrassed. It wasn't until an ambush at dawn that all the masters under King Yong's command teamed up to set up an ambush at the mouth of a narrow valley, causing the pursuers to suffer greater losses. King Yong, who had been running all night, could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

King Yong knew very well that these forbidden troops who were responsible for chasing him were definitely the strength that Fengyi Sect could use like an arm and a finger. Although they were not many in number, in comparison, his own troops were weaker, unless they could join his own guards. , otherwise you will encounter the most dangerous situation in your life. The top priority now is to rendezvous with his army. King Yong still can't believe that Qin Yong will help him. Now Fengyimen may have obtained the military talisman. By then, Qin Yong may only obey Jiao's edict, so he and Changsun Ji and Dong The rendezvous of the troops led by Zhi Zhi became King Yong's biggest goal.

At this time, a horse came galloping from a distance, and King Yong and others were all frightened. Although there was only one horse, if Wen Ziyan or the female swordsmen of Fengyi Sect were to serve as scouts, their whereabouts would be leaked immediately. , if you can't take a break, I'm afraid you will be dragged down if you continue like this. As the person approached, a guard with excellent eyesight said loudly: "Your Highness, this is Mr. Li Shun." Everyone felt relieved.

Xiao Shunzi was originally lagging behind, and his equestrian skills were not as good as those of King Yong, so he simply hid in the dark, changed into the armor of the Forbidden Army, and followed Wen Ziyan and others. Although there was only one horse, However, he kept using light body techniques to reduce the burden on the horse as much as possible, and then he caught up with the forbidden army led by Wen Ziyan. He originally wanted to take the opportunity to assassinate, but the forbidden army led by Wen Ziyan was also an elite soldier of Dayong. It was so easy to sneak in there. Although they launched several attacks while they were sitting on the horse to judge the whereabouts of King Yong and others or when they were giving water to the horse. They attacked, but the results were not great. The last time, they were surrounded by Wen Ziyan and his men. Fortunately, Xiao Shunzi was very smart and prepared an escape route in advance, so he was able to escape. Seeing that this would not have any effect, Xiao Shunzi Zi then devoted himself to catching up with King Yong. With his superb tracking skills and some luck, he finally caught up with King Yong first. Seeing King Yong's golden armor from a distance, Xiao Shunzi was overjoyed. He should be able to see the young master, but he was very worried that Jiang Zhe would be harmed in the chaos.

But the closer Xiao Shunzi got to King Yong and others, the more and more uneasy he felt, and his expression became colder and sterner. When he came to King Yong, he asked directly: "Why aren't you here, Master?"

If someone else asked this, King Yong would be angry even if he meant to explain. After all, the difference between monarch and ministers, and the distinction between superior and inferior cannot be ambiguous. But when Xiao Shunzi asked sternly like this, no one, including King Yong, became angry. Who doesn't know that this man only has one master in his heart. He obeyed Jiang Zhe's order to pass the order to Pei Yun, so that everyone could successfully break out. At this moment, his body was covered with blood. Thinking of his usually spotless image, it was even more disturbing. Be angry with him. King Yong said calmly: "Suiyun stayed in the hunting palace."

When Xiao Shunzi heard this, his expression changed drastically, murderous intent rose to the sky, a cold light suddenly appeared in his eyes, and he stared at King Yong fiercely. Everyone subconsciously protected King Yong. At this time, Jing Chi stepped forward and said: "Master Li, It's Mr. Jiang's own decision." Xiao Shunzi glanced at him, and his eyes became a little softer. After all, Jing Chi had been in and out of Hanyuan all year round, and he had supervised him copying books many times, so he was quite familiar with it.

Seeing that his mood was gradually calming down, Li Zhi rode his horse forward and whispered something in a low voice. A strange color flashed in Xiao Shunzi's eyes, and then he bowed and saluted: "I have offended Your Highness, please forgive me."

Li Zhi smiled and said: "It's good if you can understand. I also feel that if I take Suiyun with me, I will probably escape death, but this way I have a little more chance of survival. If you are worried, you might as well rush back to the hunting palace. With your martial arts, you should be able to survive." It can protect Suiyun Zhouquan.”

However, Xiao Shunzi looked solemn and said calmly: "No, I'm asking for orders to go see Qin Yong in person."

Li Zhi asked in surprise: "Why is that? Aren't you worried about Suiyun's safety?"

Xiao Shunzi said coldly: "If something happens to my young master, my servants will kill all the enemies even if they are broken into pieces. But now the young master's life and death are unknown. If the young master's plan fails, he has fallen into the hands of the enemy now. I'm afraid he will die." Wusheng, it is useless for me to rush there. If the young master is alive, then the servant alone cannot rescue the young master from the siege. In this case, I can only do my best to get the young master out of danger as soon as possible. Now His Highness is alone. Therefore, the pursuers from behind will arrive within half an hour. His Highness's army and King Qi's army may not be able to come. The two sides are monitoring each other. No one can escape from the battlefield, so General Qin's army is His Highness's only chance of survival. , but His Highness cannot command the Qin army. If the prince's side obtains the imperial edict of the military talisman, the Qin army will become the enemy of His Highness. But at this moment, only by letting the Qin army support His Highness can His Highness win this battle, and in this way can our young master be rescued. , only Li Shun can do this, my young master has made arrangements with Qin Yong, I am the only one who knows about this matter, although the young master didn’t say it, I know what he means.”

Li Zhi looked excited and said: "I see, your master and servant are all men of unparalleled wisdom and courage, so I entrust you with my trust." After saying this, he handed a small bag of tips to Xiao Shunzi, who took it without looking at it. , said calmly: "Your Highness, be careful. Even if the Qin army can come to help Your Highness, it will not come in a short time. Although Your Highness is excellent in military strategy, but Wen Ziyan has strong soldiers and horses and strong martial arts, it must be extremely difficult for Your Highness, but as long as Your Highness After delaying for two days, I promise that the Qin army can come to rescue His Highness. If I fail, there is nothing to say. I will accompany Your Highness to death."

Li Zhi said: "I have always known your abilities, so you just have to do your best. I am somewhat sure of the two-day appointment."

Xiao Shunzi bowed lightly, turned around and rode away. Li Zhi looked at his back and said loudly: "Let's rest for a while and continue on our way. If we can meet up with General Changsun, we will at least be safe. We just can't join the army, and we can't confront Wen Ziyan head-on."

Everyone agreed in unison, and everyone took the time to rest. Li Zhi looked at the rising sun and said, "Suiyun, I am counting on you."

When King Yong broke through, the hunting palace was already in a state of alarm. Li Yuan was dining with the queen and concubines. He frowned and said, "Leng Chuan, what happened outside?"

Leng Chuan walked out of the palace door in response, and then saw the fire in the distance. He was shocked. A fire in the hunting palace was definitely unusual, not to mention the faint sound of fighting. He quickly returned to the palace and reported: "Your Majesty , it seems that something happened, Your Majesty, do you want to summon General Qin?"

At this time, heavy footsteps came from outside, and someone said in a deep voice: "Qin Yi and Cheng Shu ask to see Your Majesty."

Li Yuan said quickly: "Come in."

Following his shout, Qin Yi and Cheng Shu hurried in. Li Yuan asked: "Qin Qing, what happened?"

Qin Yi said with a serious expression: "Your Majesty, is Wei Ying here?"

Li Yuan was stunned for a moment and said, "I don't need him to draft orders tonight. I'll let him go down and rest."

Qin Yi's expression changed greatly and he said: "Wei Ying came here just now to convey the order, saying that the emperor summoned me and the Duke of Wei. However, as soon as I arrived here, I discovered that there was a disturbance in the West Palace."

Li Yuan said angrily: "What's going on? I didn't ask Wei Ying to deliver the edict. Qin Aiqing, can you see the edict?"

Qin Yi smiled bitterly and said, "He said it was His Majesty's oral instruction, and the ministers asked about the hunting palace's defense."

Cheng Shu said anxiously: "Your Highness, I'm afraid someone is going to rebel. We should quickly summon the imperial army and guards to escort them."

Qin Yi's expression changed. It should be Qin Qing who was responsible for guarding Xiaoshuang Palace today. Why didn't he see it when he came in? He didn't bother to ask Li Yuan for instructions. He rushed out of the palace door and said loudly: "Qin Qing, Qin Qing, get over here quickly."

However, Qin Yi found that except for the guards who were guarding the palace, all the guards around him were silent and holding the hilts of their swords. Qin Qing was nowhere to be seen. Qin Yi's heart gradually sank. He had never hated his appeasement as much as he did today. How could he not have thought that this battalion of forbidden troops had been under the command of Qin Qing for a long time, so the Fengyi Sect might have intervened. , this incompetent traitor.

Li Yuan had also walked out of the palace door and said loudly: "Why don't you hurry up and summon General Qin Qing."

At this time, laughter like silver bells came from the distance, and a group of women came from a distance. The leader was Li Hanyou. Next to her was Princess Qi Qin Zheng and another pretty girl. All three of them were wearing moon-white outfits. , wearing long swords, behind them, thirty-six female swordsmen in snow clothes were divided into four columns. Their whole bodies were filled with cold murderous intent, and their steps were vigorous. Their actions echoed each other, and their murderous intent increased exponentially.

Li Hanyou walked to the bottom of the steps, and Fan Fan saluted: "Your Majesty, I have been ordered by the prince to attack the rebellious King Yong. His Highness is worried about your safety, so he specially sent me to protect your majesty."

Li Yuan's face was gloomy, and he said coldly: "Do you think you can do it?" Leng Chuan walked to his side, and Li Yuan said coldly: "It is impossible for you to control all the Forbidden Army. As long as I shout from the top, those Forbidden Army will be destroyed." They will defect."

Li Hanyou sneered and said: "Your Majesty is right. The general is very strict in running the army. We really have no way to control the entire Forbidden Army. Even now, we can only control these five thousand Forbidden Army. We have to send two thousand Forbidden Army to hunt down King Yong. However, This is enough, as long as the emperor cannot leave Xiaoshuang Palace, then I can control the entire forbidden army."

Li Yuan's expression changed drastically and he said, "You stole my gold medal."

Li Hanyou smiled and said: "Your Majesty is indeed wise. The only people who can completely control the Forbidden Army are General Qin himself and your Majesty's gold medal. Now that General Qin is here, your Majesty's gold medal is in our hands. Your Majesty, there is nothing you can do. When we will The traitors will be caught in one fell swoop, and when the time comes, His Highness the Crown Prince will come to plead guilty to His Majesty."

Li Yuan's body was shaking a little, and he was so angry that he could hardly stand. He said coldly: "Who stole my gold medal."

At this time, the queen and three noble concubines walked out of the palace. The queen's face was as cold as frost, Concubine Ji smiled slightly, Concubine Changsun was trembling all over, and Concubine Yan was frightened. Li Yuan's eyes fell on Concubine Ji. It was impossible. He had always been very guarded against Concubine Ji. So who was it? Concubine Changsun would never do such a thing. She had no reason to do so. Concubine Yan was gentle and cowardly, and even more so. If he doesn't do this, then there is only one person, and his eyes fall on the queen.