It was not yet dawn, and the east was covered with gray. It seemed that it was a cloudy day.
After the fall, Shengdu suddenly cooled down. Although it is not a bad thing, for Shengdu people who are used to autumn tigers, they always feel an indescribable strangeness.
The army set off today, and the weather was like this again, which was not a good omen.
Many people think pessimistically.
In a dilapidated small alley in the outer city of Shengdu, Li Shen stayed up all night.
He sat in a daze all night, holding an iron plate that was almost flattened in his hand. It was not until the sound of turning over from the next room that he put away the iron plate, opened the curtain and went to the stove.
He boiled a pot of millet porridge for Mother Li, steamed a few steamed buns with white flour, and boiled two eggs.
Since the last time the people in the military camp sent him his pension and related compensation, he paid off his family's debts and had a little money left, so he didn't have to be as tight as before.
He was reluctant to eat the eggs, so he brought them to Mother Li.
When he arrived at Li's mother's house, Li's mother was already up, dressed neatly, her hair combed brightly, and she also put on the hairpin when she got married.
"Mother, you..."
Mother Li suddenly dresses so formally that he is not used to it.
Mother Li smiled and said, "Sit down and eat."
"Eh." Li Shen sat down beside Mother Li, handed the spoon to Mother Li's hand, and pulled her other hand to let her touch the porridge bowl.
Mother Li said with a smile: "Okay, it's not that I can't eat."
Li Shen peeled two boiled eggs for his mother.
Mother Li took one for him familiarly, and put it into his bowl accurately: "You can eat it too, don't just focus on me."
"I have eaten." Li Shen said.
"Mother is blind, not blind," said Mother Li.
Li Shen opened his mouth: "Mother!"
Mother Li smiled wistfully: "I've packed everything for you, and after breakfast, you can go."
Li Shen was stunned, he turned his head to look in his mother's room, and indeed saw a burden on the bed.
He was astonished: "Mother, you..."
Mother Li smiled and said, "I went to your house to clean up when you were cooking. Do you see anything left? Don't wait until you leave the city, you won't be able to get it if you want to."
Li Shen took a steamed bun: "...I didn't say I was going out of the city."
Mother Li said: "Can you deceive your mother, can you fool yourself? Ever since your friend from the military camp came here, you have taken out that iron card every day to see. Mother can't see it, but she can touch it. , the edges and corners of the iron card are almost flattened by you."
The last sentence is naturally an exaggeration, but every time Mother Li goes to his room, she can feel the residual warmth on the iron card. Once or twice is accidental, and the number of times is more than that, which means that he takes the iron card all the time. Come out to miss.
Mother Li sighed: "Mother is not someone who doesn't listen to things outside the window, mother has heard about it, the Han family has collapsed, and the black wind rider has changed hands. If you can send your veteran's pension back, it should be the master of Ming Dynasty. , son, go ahead. We... can't let the thieves of Jin and Liang countries bully you!"
Li Shen looked at his mother in shock: "Mother..."
Li said reproachfully: "It's my mother who has delayed you these years. My mother has never read a book, and I don't know a few big characters, but my mother remembers what you said before you joined the army. You said that you want to serve the court and be the bravest of Dayan. General. If it wasn't for your mother, you would have done it already."
Li Shen hurriedly shook his head: "No, mother, I..."
Li patted the back of his hand: "Okay, no need to say it. Besides, it's too late, so hurry up and eat away. Don't worry about mother, mother can take care of herself."
"Mother..."
"Go, son, and do what you have to do."
Li Shen took a bite of the steamed bun, his throat was sore, and his eyes were astringent.
He fought hard not to let the tears flow.
No one can understand his inner struggle. This is the mother who gave birth to him and raised him. His father left early, and it was his mother who worked hard to pull him up, but in the end, he couldn't do his filial piety in front of his mother—
"mother!"
He threw himself on his knees, nodded his forehead, and kowtowed three times. His tears fell to the ground with a thud.
"The son is not filial! The son cannot repay the mother's kindness of upbringing!"
This time I went to the border, and I don't know if I can come back alive.
You don't have to give birth to my unfilial son.
In the next life... In the next life, I will be your son again!
…
In the Crane Tower, Zhao Dengfeng was called to the kitchen to cook before dawn.
Since Gu Jiao bought his restaurant by forcefully buying and selling the land, he has been forced to become a cook.
Every day is either chopping or cooking, and today is no exception.
But today he was very absent-minded.
The Han family and the Nangong family openly rebelled and fled to the border, colluding with Jin and Liang, and opened the border gate.
Even the concubine and the female classmates have to go to expedition on behalf of the emperor.
The princess's martial arts has long been abolished, and it is no different from ordinary people. No, it is still different. Ordinary people's backs have not been driven into several iron nails.
The troops that could be mobilized from all over Shengdu gathered towards the west gate, and there was also an army in Qiushan Town to go there.
The general of that army is a frequent visitor to the Xianhe Tower, a guy full of nonsense and bragging about his horse. He has given a lot of credit in the Xianhe Tower, and he never intends to pay it back.
To let such a person go to war, isn't it a waste of money for the rebels
The more Zhao Dengfeng thought about it, the more angry he became, the kitchen knife chopped swishly!
Chef Zheng, who was on the side, noticed something was wrong with him, frowned and asked, "Hey! Chef Zhao, why are you so angry? Who messed with you! Don't break the kitchen knife!"
Zhao Dengfeng said angrily, "You take care of me!"
Chef Zheng was taken aback by the kitchen knife he raised, thinking that this guy had killed people before, and he didn't dare to choke with him, so he rolled his eyes and walked away.
The clutter of hooves from the streets…
Why is it messy? In fact, it sounds quite neat to the ears of ordinary people, but Zhao Dengfeng is a cavalry soldier from Heifeng Camp, and even a horse's hooves can be disgusted by him!
"How do you bring soldiers? How do you train horses? With this riding technique, the formation will be messed up before the battle!"
Chop chop chop!
I chop!
I chop!
I'm chopping chopping chopping chopping...
Chop your uncle!
I don't cut it!
Zhao Dengfeng smashed the kitchen knife on the chopping board, turned around and went out!
…
At the gate of the West City Gate, the monarch led the civil and military officials to practice for the soldiers of the three armies.
Earlier, there were rumors among the people that it was Jin and Liang who came to invade, and the monarch was so frightened that he suffered a stroke on the spot.
The leak of this news is a fatal blow to morale and people's hearts.
Originally, it was a battle with little chance of winning. If even the king of a country was scared like this, then Dayan would really be destroyed.
But today, all the people have seen the spirit of the Son of Heaven.
The emperor appeared, broke the rumors, and told the whole world with practical actions. Not only was the King Dayan not frightened, but he was filled with endless fighting spirit!
The monarch of the old Ji Fuzhi reproduced Dayan's flying eagle flag, and rekindled the confidence of the people that was about to be wiped out in the hearts of the people.
Maybe this battle... can really be won, right
Definitely, definitely win.
After watching the princess and Gu Jiao lead the army out of the West City Gate, Xiao Heng, who was behind the crowd, said to the dragon beside him, "It's time for us to go too."
Holding a box of unfinished charcoal pens, Long Yi stared blankly for a long time until he could no longer see Gu Jiao's back.
…
Xiao Heng and his aunt's group all headed east. After leaving Liaozhou, the two sides separated their troops. Xiao Heng, Long Yi, and Wang Xu's army went to Cangxue Pass in the northeast. An Guogong, aunt and others, and The army led by Feng Wuxiu went to Chishui Pass in the southeast.
Daoist Qingfeng also accompanied him.
After Shangguan Yan and Gu Jiao left Shengdu, the first news they received from the border was Yuzhou, a hundred miles away.
They had just camped outside a village.
Well-meaning villagers asked them to live in the village, but Shangguan Yan refused.
Shangguan Yan was sitting in his tent, with the infantry commander Wang Man on his left. He was Wang Xu's uncle and a veteran.
The Wang family was not a family of military power. He was the only one in Wang Man's generation to practice martial arts, and in Wang Xu's generation, only Wang Xu inherited his martial arts.
However, Wang Man had fought with Xuanyuan Li back then and had experience in fighting against the armies of Jin and Liang. Therefore, the monarch suggested to bring him along and named him General Jianwei.
He was the highest official in the camp.
He has a lot of military achievements, and he is quite arrogant and conceited. He hardly looks at anyone other than his wife, especially the youngest Gu Jiao.
On his other side sat General Wei Junting of the bow and arrow camp, thirty-eight years old this year.
On Shangguan Yan's right are Gu Jiao and Mu Qingchen.
Mu Qingchen traveled with her as a close guard of the Tai-daughter. He was mainly responsible for the safety of the Tai-daughter and had no official position in the barracks.
Gu Chengfeng did not come over for the time being.
Until the monarch recovers, he has to play the role of the monarch and stay in Shengdu to stabilize the hearts of the army and the people.
Shangguan Yan said: "The 800-mile expedited secret letter just sent, all of you Aiqing have read it, and I don't know what everyone thinks."
Wang Man said angrily: "Humph! The Nangong family is deceiving people too much! To actually fool the border gate people in the name of Tianxingdao! It's extremely shameless!"
There are often wars in Shengbu, and most of the things about the Xuanyuan family have been heard, but the border has experienced countless wars, and everyone saw how the Xuanyuan family defended the people at the border.
After the Xuanyuan family was exterminated, the border was mourning.
The Nangong family took control of this. After arriving at the border, they first announced the crime of the monarch destroying the Xuanyuan family for a prophecy, and lied that they also got the news. It turned out that they had been deceived by the monarch over the years.
They want to avenge the Xuanyuan family!
What's more, they claimed that the Xuanyuan family was still alive, and they were protecting them in the dark.
They are willing to fight for the descendants of Xuanyuan's family, even if they are stubborn, they must choose the real Mingjun for Dayan!
The people were persuaded, opened the city gate, welcomed them directly, and put the army of the Nangong family into the city.
Many of the defenders in the city are old members of the Xuanyuan family. Since they are seeking revenge for the Xuanyuan family, then everyone is their own.
The Nangong family captured Quyang City at Yanmen Pass almost effortlessly.
(End of this chapter)