Chang Anqing

Chapter 105 Beheading in front of the hall
Why bamboo flute complain willow, spring is not degree Pass.

After the beginning of winter, Chang'an is still shrouded in frost and mist. Even the breeze always makes people feel bitter, and they can't help wrapping their cloaks tighter. After passing the stagnant Western Regions, the cold wind in Chang'an is nothing to worry about.

Jiaohe City in Xizhou (now Turpan), which is thousands of miles away, is extremely quiet at the moment. In the twilight, like a giant beast crouching on a dragon, it is guarding the land that once belonged to the Gaochang Kingdom of the Qu clan calmly and majestically. However, within a few years at the flick of a finger, the city is still the same city, but the banners hanging on the city walls have long been replaced by the red and black flags with dragon patterns of Dazhou, and Zhao Yi, the king of Yuling who is now stationed in the Western Regions, destroyed Gaochang Kingdom with one hand. It deserves the red and black flag with tiger stripes.

A round of cold moon hangs in the night, pouring down a piece of cold and faint light, looking from a distance, people suddenly think it is frost on the tiles.Jiaohe City is surrounded by cliffs in the center, and only three gates were built on the cliffs on the east, west and south sides.Overlooking the whole city is a huge fortress with layers of fortifications. Outside the pedestrian wall, it is like being in a deep ditch, and it is impossible to see the situation inside the city wall, but inside the wall, you can control the internal and external movements.

At a glance, the shape and layout of the city is similar to that of Chang'an, and the fortification is extremely strict. Yuling Street, which runs through the north and south, divides the residential areas into east and west.And in the southeast of the city, there is a majestic and dignified house at this moment. From the outside, there are five doors, seven front yards, five back yards, seven back bedrooms, and several side yards on the left and right.On the high and shiny black gate, hang the five gilt characters "Anxi Dufu Mansion" inscribed by myself today, and the emperor's jade seal is also covered under the flamboyant plaque.

Different from the mansions of the nobles in Chang'an, the guards inside and outside the mansion are not young servants in blue shirts and silk robes, but one after another selected from the Western Regions garrison and the personal guards belonging to the Royal Mausoleum King. .

At this moment, under the moonlight, these young men are like resolute and cold stone sculptures, motionless. No one knows that in such a cold night in the Western Regions, even if they are wrapped in mink fur and fox fur coats, they can't resist. The coldness soaked into the bones can make people shiver, but these guards are wearing cold light armor weighing tens of kilograms, but their expressions have not changed, and even the breathing is extremely smooth as usual, as if they are light and nothing .

But ten or so steps away, the passing foreign merchants just looked at them lightly, and the menacing and daunting gaze made them tremble in fear and fear.Only the people in this city will feel proud and relieved when they see this mansion, because they know that these men followed the King of Yuling in the north and south, crawled out from the dead bones of thousands of people, and fought hard on the battlefield where blood flowed into rivers. The heroes who came out, because of them, they were able to live and work in peace and contentment here, sharing peace.

Tonight, the front hall in the courtyard is brightly lit, and the guards in front of the hall are even denser. Only among the guards surrounded by layers, let alone a bird flying in, or even a fallen leaf, I am afraid that they will be killed by it. The momentum was so startled that it went around the courtyard and outside the wall.

However, what is unusual is that there are hundreds of armored soldiers kneeling outside the hall at this moment. Different from those guards, these soldiers are all bowing their heads in silence at this moment, their faces are pale and sickly, and the red iron tiger helmets they are wearing are all meticulously placed. On the ground on the right side, although the disheveled hair bun is messy, the scarlet blood stains on the face and armor are not less murderous and cold.

Compared with the outside of the hall, the inside of the hall is even more quiet at this moment, because the grid door has already been replaced with two layers of thick tiger fur blankets, and the warm earth dragon is burning in the hall, so once entering the room, it feels like two people. The weather is heavy, the wind outside the hall is like a knife, and the hall is warm like spring.

However, no matter how warm it is, the atmosphere in the hall is still like ice and frost attached to a string, which can almost be described as dead silence. There is only a map that is one foot long and half a foot high hanging on the main hall of the huge hall. At the moment, there is a person sitting warmly on the ebony brown lacquer carved chihu bed. Although he is wearing a plain blue pan-wind cattail pattern regular dress shirt, his complexion is as gentle as jade, and he is sitting in front of the bed. Among the generals in armor, he was dressed like a frail scholar.

But in this silence, the military generals on both sides of the bed, no matter how old or young, whether they looked fierce and rough, or looked like elegant Confucian generals, at this moment, they didn't say a word, they just respectfully and convincingly looked at The people on the seat bowed their heads, and the military regulations were neat, which was surprising.

"This battle—"

In the silence, a lieutenant standing in the middle with his fists folded, looked about thirty years old, with an ordinary appearance, but he could be seen to be a straightforward and resolute person. At this moment, he uttered three words to break the silence, and he couldn't help but frown worriedly. Just looking at the figure standing beside him, he hesitated and finally continued: "According to your lord's defense, our army forced into the city where Xue Yantuo's main force was stationed, and under the command of General Guo, we defeated the main force. When there was no opportunity, he ordered to enter the city first, and when he entered the city, the soldiers below were hungry and tired due to the long-distance raid all night, so they couldn't bear their temper for a while, and violated the military order—"

Speaking of this, the deputy general couldn't help but pause, and his voice became lower and lower: "I wantonly robbed the money and food of the people and horses in the city. I never thought that Xue Yantuo (formerly one of Tiele's tribes, formed by the merger of Xue and Yantuo, who lived in the city) Mobei, controlled by the Turks) took this as an opportunity to set up an ambush, and our army was unable to respond in time and suffered heavy losses—"

After the voice fell, the hall fell into silence again. The words just now were like a small pebble thrown into a deep pool. There were no ripples, but there were even bigger waves hidden.

"Mr. Guo."

Just when everything was silent, a flat and steady voice sounded slowly, and the people present couldn't help but follow along, only to see the middle-aged general standing beside the deputy general with majestic and stern eyebrows, looking from his face and body alone. Judging from the fresh blood, one can tell what a thrilling and fierce battle Fang has gone through. However, compared to those soldiers kneeling outside the hall, this person is calm, only a look of embarrassment in his eyes weighs deep in his heart. It seems that he is forbearing.

Hearing the person calling him at this moment, he didn't show nervous surprise, but just took a step forward respectfully, and responded sonorously and forcefully to the person on the bed.

"The end is here!"

Looking at Guo Zhao, who had passed the age of forty years and had followed Duke Chengsi of the State of Qin for many years before him in the South and North Wars, Zhao Yi, who was sitting firmly on the bed, did not show the slightest emotion, but stood up silently. , following the rustling of the clothes, walked around the bed, walked under the map and stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at a corner of the map and speaking.

"Back then, you and I followed Qin Guogong to attack Gaochang, captured Qu's family, and hung up this map. It has been three years since the day when the country was shaken—"

Hearing Zhao Yi's calm voice, Guo Zhao's serious eyes trembled slightly, and then he looked at the magnificent map. He felt that the blood and ambition of following the Duke Chengsi of the Qin Dynasty in the past seemed to come to his face. Soaked his memories.

"In that battle, Duke Hou was shot by a stray arrow. When he was dying, he said to the general. Do you remember the general?"

A short sentence, but a number, fell on Guo Zhao's ears and heart like a blow, and shattered his glorious and mighty memories.

Looking at Zhao Yi, who was calm and introverted as before when he was planning battles with them, Guo Zhao only felt his throat stagnate. Under the eyes of everyone, he finally lowered his head and said in a deep voice: "Soldiers are deceitful, Acting decisively, not planning enough, think twice before acting, either do not move, or make a decision before acting—"

Killing hearts.

After Guo Zhao's words fell, he felt Hou Gong's instructions were still in his ears, shame and embarrassment suddenly appeared on his dark and stern face, and he felt that even his ears gradually became warm.

"In today's battle, how many people did you take away when you went out?"

Hearing that Zhao Yi suddenly changed the subject, Guo Zhao couldn't help but raise his head. He was very aware of the young general in front of him. Kings with different surnames in the current dynasty always rewarded and punished fairly, and never distinguished generals from soldiers. With the support and respect of the garrison, he would not naively think that Zhao Yi would simply erase his fault and not mention it, so his heart gradually lifted.

"Three thousand Jingwei."

Hearing Guo Zhao's pause, Zhao Yi nodded clearly, and said unhurriedly, "How many people came back?"

"210 five people—"

Hearing Guo Zhao's gradually losing confidence in his reply, Zhao Yi lowered his eyes, and finally turned sideways slowly, but he didn't look back, but a trace of unbearable coldness flashed across his eyes, and he calmly spit out a few words, enough to make everyone present People are shocked.

"According to military law, kill him immediately in front of the hall."

Short numbers, the lives of hundreds of people outside the hall turned into a sea of ​​blood in the command room. At this moment, everyone raised their heads in surprise. They have been marching for decades, and they naturally know that Zhao Yi's army has always been governed by purge and justice. In the name of being intolerant, it is precisely because of this that he can sit in the Western Regions and make the surrounding small countries feel terrified.

But the [-] soldiers in today's battle are not ordinary soldiers, but the elite soldiers under the command of Duke Hou of the Qin State back then. They are veterans brought to the battlefield by Guo Zhao. Their bravery is equal to ten. Today, they can stand out from the siege and return from the front line of life and death. These more than two hundred people can be regarded as the best among the warriors.

But now-

They looked at Zhao Yi in front of them, but saw that his expression was as normal as usual, as if he was just telling them that the night was fine tonight, his cold and ruthless words fell into the vast sea like drops of water, without the slightest ripple, even his eyebrows were never raised cents.

"Your Majesty—"

At this point, Guo Zhao couldn't sit still anymore. Although he knew that he had been reckless and neglected today, those elite soldiers are his old people, and even today he acquiesced in looting the barbarian people of Xue Yantuo. Following him, the brother who finally saved his life was dealt with by the military law. What will he do with Guo Zhao's popularity and face in the army in the future?
"Today's battle was the last general's negligence. I would like to bear this responsibility alone. I hope the king will give the brothers outside a way out."

After finishing speaking, Guo Zhao resolutely knelt and half knelt in front of the hall, cupped his fists and lowered his always proud head.

Little did they know, another storm would strike again.

(End of this chapter)