It was three quarters past three in the morning, about an hour before dawn, and the sky and the earth were pitch black, with one not being able to see one's hand in front of one's face.
Wow~squeak, wow~squeak...
A melodious and rapid pigeon whistle like electronic music pierced the silent night sky. Along with the sound of the pigeon whistle, a white-feathered gray-headed carrier pigeon flew through the night sky and landed in the pigeon house on the city wall. A folded letter was tied to the pigeon's leg.
"A slave has returned. It's the gray-headed slave from Moling Pass. He has an urgent report. Quick, deliver it to the adults."
The soldier who had been tending the pigeon loft on the city wall all year round heard the pigeon whistle and found a carrier pigeon flying back to the pigeon loft. When he noticed that it was a gray-headed white-feathered carrier pigeon bred in Moling Pass in the south of the city and that it was carrying an urgent message, he hurriedly took out a handful of rice from his arms to feed the pigeon, untied the urgent message on the pigeon's leg, and shouted loudly.
Moling Pass is just south of Yingtian and is one of the gateways to Yingtian. Its distance from Yingtian is about the same as the distance between Jiangning Town and Yingtian, except that Jiangning Town is in the southwest of Yingtian, while Moling Pass is in the southeast of Yingtian.
The urgent message from Moling Pass at this time must be extremely important, so the soldiers tending the pigeon house did not dare to neglect it.
Soon, the messenger on duty at the pigeon house took the urgent message from the carrier pigeon and flew all the way to the city gate tower.
Zhang Jing, Eunuch He and other officials were resting in the city gate tower. When the messenger came to deliver the message, they had just dozed off at their desks. The Japanese pirates attacked the city during the day, and they were very nervous. They were slightly relieved after the Japanese pirates were driven away by the Zhejiang Army. The reason why they were relieved was that they were worried that the withdrawal of the Japanese pirates was a false appearance, and that they were worried that the Japanese pirates withdrew their troops to confuse Yingtian, and when Yingtian relaxed, they would come back and suddenly attack the city. In order to prevent the Japanese pirates from attacking Yingtian again, not only were the city gates closed, but even the conscripted people were not dismissed. They were also very nervous. At night, they were so scared that they couldn't sleep, and they didn't dare to go to bed, for fear that the Japanese pirates would attack them while they were asleep. Even when it was midnight, they forced themselves not to sleep, until it was Yinshi, when they really couldn't hold on any longer and dozed off at their desks.
"An urgent report from the flying slaves at Moling Pass? Submit it quickly."
When Zhang Jing and other officials heard the messenger reporting the urgent news from Moling Pass, their sleepiness immediately disappeared and they hurriedly called out.
"Moling Pass is the southeastern gateway of Yingtian. The urgent reports from Moling Pass are most likely related to the Japanese pirates in Shangyu." Shi Pengfei, the right vice minister of the Ministry of War, was the first to express his opinion when the messenger presented the urgent report.
"Who is stationed at Moling Pass?" asked Eunuch He.
"Yingtian Prefecture Procurator Luo Jieqing and Commander Xu Chengzong are leading a thousand elite soldiers to guard Moling Pass." Shi Pengfei, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, responded. When he mentioned Luo Jieqing and Xu Chengzong, Shi Pengfei puffed out his stomach and coughed to take credit, "Luo Jieqing is knowledgeable about military affairs and is both civil and military. He is well-known in Yingtian Prefecture. Xu Chengzong is from a family of military generals. He served in Datong in his early years and resisted the southward advance of the Hu cavalry several times. He has rich experience in leading troops in battle. Ahem, I recommended them to guard Moling Pass last month. With them here, the Japanese pirates in Shangyu will definitely suffer a bloody defeat at Moling Pass. At this moment, they have sent an urgent report, which must be a victory song."
"As the saying goes, there was Moling first, and then there was Nanjing. Moling Pass has been an insurmountable pass since ancient times. There are a thousand elite soldiers guarding Moling Pass. If the Japanese pirates want to pass through the pass, they will be skinned alive..."
"I have also heard of Luo Tui Guan's name. He loves to read military books and is well-versed in military affairs. He has led troops to suppress bandits many times. Shi Shishi recommended Luo Tui Guan to guard Moling Pass. He can be said to know people and use them well. Shi Shishi said that the victory song has been played, which I think is true."
As soon as Shi Pengfei finished speaking, two officials nodded in agreement.
"So, the Japanese pirates went to Moling Pass? Then Yingtian is temporarily safe." Everyone couldn't help but smile with joy.
Zhang Jing took the urgent report from the messenger and couldn't wait to open it and read it.
All officials were also watching with interest.
"I hope it's good news so I can sleep well." Eunuch He raised his index finger, looked at Zhang Jing, and said slowly.
"asshole!"
As soon as Zhang Jing opened the urgent message and took a look at it, he couldn't help but get furious. He slammed the message on the table and cursed with gritted teeth.
ah?!
Seeing Zhang Jing furious, everyone's face suddenly changed, and they realized that something was wrong. What came from Moling Pass was not a song of victory, but bad news!
Eunuch He hurriedly picked up the urgent report, took a look at it, and could not help but slam the urgent report on the table like Zhang Jing did, and cursed, "These two damn bastards! The Japanese pirates haven't even reached Moling Pass yet, and they've already abandoned the pass and fled! I will report this to the emperor and have them severely punished!"
After cursing, Eunuch He looked at Shi Pengfei dimly, raised his orchid finger and said sinisterly, "Just now, Minister Shi said that you recommended them to guard Moling Pass?"
"I, I... I can't say that I recommended it. I just, I just nominated it. I... I was also deceived by them..."
Shi Pengfei said stutteringly.
Everyone took turns reading the urgent report and immediately understood why Zhang Jing and Eunuch He were so furious. Luo Jieqing and Xu Chengzong, who were guarding Moling Pass, abandoned the pass and fled, and they hadn't even seen the shadow of the Japanese pirates.
The pressure is back on Yingtian City.
The Japanese pirates haven't even reached Moling Pass yet, but Luo Jieqing and Xu Chengzong have already abandoned the pass and fled! Now the situation is in the hands of the Japanese pirates. If they want to go back and attack Yingtian, they can do so. If they want to go out of Moling Pass and head south, they can go out of the pass and head south!
Now they couldn't sleep even more!
I’m afraid that the Japanese pirates will appear outside Yingtian City in the next second!
"Everyone, cheer up! Open your eyes wide!" The generals received the order and had to inspect the city walls again and again, and be on high alert to prevent the Japanese pirates from making a surprise attack on the city.
The situation in Yingtian City was extremely tense. No one, whether officials, soldiers or ordinary people, had slept all night.
And so it went, from the hour of Yin to the hour of Mao... ... until the last darkness before dawn.
The soldier, who had not slept all night and was exhausted, breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the dawn slowly brewing in the east. The next second, he vaguely heard footsteps, and then saw movement in the southeast. He stared with wide eyes and looked carefully, then his pupils shrank sharply, and he shouted at the top of his voice, "There are people, a large group of people are coming towards Yingtian from the southeast.
"What? There is a large group of troops heading towards Yingtian from the southeast?!" The people on the city wall suddenly became tense.
"Sure enough, a large group of people are coming."
"Could it be that the Japanese pirates have come back again?!"
Everyone also saw a team coming towards Yingtian, getting closer and closer, and they suddenly panicked and shouted.
Soon, Shi Pengfei, the right assistant minister of the Ministry of War, led several officials and a team of elite soldiers to come and check the situation on Zhang Jing's orders.
Due to the darkness before dawn, the people on the city wall could not see the team's flags clearly. They could only vaguely see that the team was not small, with as many as seven or eight hundred people.
"Who are you coming? Stop! I will shoot you if you come any closer!" A general on the city wall shouted nervously.