Ah Feng raised his head and looked at the person standing on the steps facing the wind.
He remembered the promise this man had made to him.
"If you survive this test, I will give you a surname."
"You will not only see this, you will see more. Eventually there will be no more slaves in this world. No more children will suffer the same sins that you have suffered."
He tightened his hand on his side and leaned down willingly for the first time in many years.
He lowered his head and called softly,
"Lord."
I will report my wishes to you on the golden stage, and I will be the only one to serve you for the rest of my life.
"My lord. It's my lord."
"See my lord!"
The crowd in the square shouted in unison and fell to their knees in a dark mass.
Cheng Qianye stood on a high place and watched the golden lights of different brightness flashing one after another in the crowd.
She has imagined such a scene many times, hoping that her deployments can respect her from the bottom of their hearts and be loyal to her like this.
In her imagination, when she gets all this, she will be happy, high-spirited, and even proud.
But at this moment, I am standing here, looking at the countless soldiers who are willing to bend their knees and lower their heads in front of me. She only felt the heavy responsibility on her shoulders.
There are familiar friends and strange soldiers here.
There are partners who have accompanied him through life and death, and there is also Pao Ze who is fighting side by side for the first time.
Without exception, they all entrusted their most important lives to her hands. They looked up to her and trusted her.
Expect her to realize the world she promised to bring.
Cheng Qianye raised his head and looked beyond the majestic ancient city wall, seeing the distant mountains and skyline, the setting sun shining in the evening, and the long clouds reflecting the vast sky.
I will move forward step by step, never looking back, never stopping.
I cannot let you down, I dare not let you down.
It may not be possible to sweep across Liuhe and bring the world under its control. But I at least want every one of my people to have the qualifications to be born as human beings.
Yang Luhou quietly raised his head from the crowd, "This, this is the master."
Someone on the side stretched out his hand and pushed him down. Yang Sheng whispered: "Idiot, you can call me lord now."
"Yes, yes." Yang Luhou lowered his head and touched the check card on his chest, "I am no longer a slave, thanks to the kindness of my lord."
Yang Sheng raised his head slightly, and through the gap between the crowd, he saw the lord in crimson clothes and golden armor coming down from the high platform, and helped up the seriously injured man who was kneeling on the ground in his robe and was given the national surname. Cheng Feng.
He remembered this Cheng Feng. When they had just arrived, a corner of the city wall had been broken. It was this man who led a group of soldiers, covered in blood, to block the enemy general, and refused to retreat until he died, so that the city gate could not be lost.
He watched the lord help the man up with his own hands and handed him the verification card representing the "non-renewal" of the fourth-level title.
Yang Sheng thought to himself, this Cheng Feng is really lucky. He has guarded the city for so many days, beheaded countless people, and achieved this feat, and he has reached the lowest rank of non-commissioned officer in one step.
You must know that there are a total of twenty levels of knighthood. The first three levels of sergeant, Shangzao, and hairpin can be obtained by beheading people through personal bravery.
But if you don't upgrade to level 4 or above, it won't be that easy, and you can't get it unless you are the leader of the team. It requires team operations to obtain a certain number of enemy leaders, and it also requires that the casualties of the infantry led by oneself cannot be too large. In short, the conditions are becoming more and more demanding.
But there are shortcuts. If you make special achievements or perform outstandingly in the death squads that attack the city, you may be able to advance to the nobility.
Yang Sheng looked at the two figures, one red and one black, standing in front of his lord.
The two of them have accumulated military merits and have become Fu Geng with certain privileges. They can be exempted from corvee taxes and do not need to kneel before the county government.
And the other one who entered the battlefield on the same day as him was already a hairpin with the highest title among civilians.
A kind of fireworks ignited in Yang Sheng's eyes, a kind of ambitious flame. I will not lose to them.
The lord was walking out under the protection of the soldiers. Suddenly he turned his head and glanced in his direction. Yang Sheng was startled and lowered his head, feeling uneasy in his heart.
Lord, have you seen me
Probably not, it must be just a coincidence.
But this day will come sooner or later. One day, I will be able to let the Lord see me and see me as a person.
Cheng Qianye left the square in Dongshi.
He and Xiao Jin went to see Yu Dunsu. Yu Dunsu was seriously injured and was lying on the bed recuperating. When he saw Cheng Qianye entering, he hurriedly got up to greet him.
Cheng Qianye stopped him and sat down on a round table in front of his bed: "This is war time, the general is injured, and recuperation is the most important thing, so there is no need to talk about these false etiquette."
Yu Dunsu reluctantly sat up and bowed and saluted: "Thanks to my lord's timely assistance this time, otherwise even if Bianzhou can be saved, there will definitely be heavy casualties."
"Why did the Lord personally lead the team?" Xiao Jin asked in confusion, "Where are Zhang Fu and General Helan?"
"How could I lead the army myself? I'm just pretending." Cheng Qianye smiled, "I let Xiao Mo lead the troops."
Yu Dunsu showed a puzzled look: "Although Qiao Sheng fought bravely, he was just a slave. He was only responsible for leading the slave troops who were responsible for sending people to death and increasing their numbers. Is it too risky for the lord to use him to lead the army?"
"You don't know yet." Cheng Qianye lowered his head and straightened his sleeves, "Most of the people who came to the rescue this time were troops composed of slaves."
"The slaves were the ones who rushed in front and cut through the enemy formation first. The ones who cut off the most heads were also slaves." Cheng Qianye smiled slightly and felt a lot in his heart. "In addition to Xiao Mo and Cheng Feng, there are several others who are here. You may not guess that the warriors who have performed very well on the battlefield are all the most humble people in your eyes."
"In accordance with the New Deal, I have lifted their slave status and entered their title. From now on, the word slave will gradually no longer appear in our Jin army lieutenants. As my most trusted generals, you two must take the lead in transforming yourself. Inherent concept.”
Yu Dunsu and Xiao Jin took a breath and exchanged glances with each other. However, this time, being able to defend the city inside and repel the enemy forces outside did depend on the implementation of the New Deal, even though it was a New Deal that was criticized a lot by the military's decision-makers.
Xiao Jin's face was still solemn, and he bowed deeply: "Although Bianzhou is important, my lord, you are the lord of our Jin Dynasty. With a body of thousands of gold, it is unwise to be involved in dangerous places like this. If I were in Jiangdu, I would definitely not I will allow you to come in person.”
"If you want me to watch you two die, and watch the soldiers and people of Bianzhou fall into the enemy's hands, I, the lord, might as well not do anything." Cheng Qianye said solemnly, "This time I, Bianzhou, have been besieged for a long time. Not only the surrounding princes have sent out threats to me. The letters asking for help were ignored, and even the retainers in Jin who had private soldiers tried every means to evade help. "
"In this battle, I swear to use my Jin soldiers to retreat from the Dog Rong army alone. In front of the people of the world, I will show off the power of our Jin army and slap those who are greedy for life and fear of death. I hope you can work hard. Help!”
The Jin State's military strength was not strong, and it had been oppressed by border countries for many years. As a lieutenant general in the army, I often feel that I am suffocating in my chest.
When Yu Dunsu and Xiao Jin heard their lord's words, they felt passion ignited in their hearts. They swept away their years of bad energy and clasped their fists together, "Swear to follow the lord to the death!"
Cheng Qianye: "As for General Helan, I will send him to do another thing. If he can succeed, the army of dogs and soldiers will be able to retreat in an instant."
At this moment, He Lanzhen, leading the eight thousand soldiers of the Helan family, was rushing by the Jishui River.
Each of them was dressed in the uniform of a dog soldier, holding coins in their mouths, and the horses had their mouths tied, each carrying a bunch of firewood, and they moved silently in the dark night.
Their destination was Huangchi, about 20 kilometers north of Quanrong Camp.
Food and fodder for the army were stored there, and tens of thousands of soldiers were stationed for defense.
He Lanzhen clenched the hilt of the sword in her hand, a cold light flashing in her eyes.
The lord personally led an army of slaves and recruits to support Bianzhou.
No matter what, the improvised soldiers cannot stand in a long-term confrontation with the experienced regular army.
Even if they can cut through the enemy's army and rush into the city with a moment of courage, they can only relieve the siege of the city temporarily.
If the war lasts for a long time, recruits will easily develop panic and fear of fighting. Inadequate scheduling, collapse, and mutiny may occur at any time.
The face that always smiled and spoke softly appeared in He Lanzhen's mind.
My lord, he has entered a dangerous situation. Success or failure depends on this one move. I must capture Huangchi and burn the enemy's food and grass to relieve Bianzhou's danger.
It's quiet at night.
The Quanrong sentry standing on the watchtower quietly yawned.
In his impression, these armies in the Central Plains are very weak and can be bullied. On the battlefield, it is often clear that the numbers are superior, but they collapse at the first touch, allowing them to burn, kill and loot.
Unexpectedly, the two generals did not hide Pei Zhen this time. They personally led tens of thousands of troops in Weiming Mountain to besiege Bianzhou, and they actually attacked the city for more than a month without breaking the city.
But the day before yesterday I heard that Bianzhou's coach was seriously injured, so I expected the city to be broken in just a few days. It's a pity that I can only guard the food and grass here this time, and can't follow the army into the city to take advantage of the situation to plunder.
When I was a little confused, I suddenly saw the shadows of the trees in front of me, as if a group of people were advancing in the dark night.
Looking from a distance, the team of men and horses were brandishing their headquarters' numbers and wearing their own uniforms.
The soldiers on the watchtower waved a flag to the soldiers on duty in front of Juma.
own people.
The team of people advanced further and further, everyone's face was smeared with pot ashes, their faces were sullen, and they said nothing.
Without waiting for the soldiers on duty to ask questions, one of the leading generals galloped forward, stabbed the man through with one shot, and rushed straight into the camp.
The sentry on the watchtower hurriedly tried to sound the alarm.
Several sharp arrows shot into his chest, and he barely struck the bell and fell off the platform.
There was chaos in the camp, and alarm bells sounded late.
Countless Dog Rong soldiers stood up in a hurry in their sleep, picked up their weapons and rushed out of the camp. They saw flames everywhere in the camp, and tall grain stacks emitted thick smoke and shot into the sky in the raging fire.
There were sounds of killing on all sides, and military horses were galloping everywhere. In the light of the sword are enemies that are difficult to distinguish, and companions who are red-eyed to kill.
The army was in a great rout. Those who fled were pushing each other, those who were walking were lying on top of each other, and their bodies lay buried for more than a hundred miles.
He Lanzhen fought all the way until dawn, burning the enemy's baggage and food and wiping out thousands of enemies.
The author has something to say: The clothing in this article mostly refers to Shen Congwen's "Research on Ancient Chinese Costumes"