Chapter 412 Chapter 415
Shen Mu said with a smile: "When Yu Wenwen knew that we came to find him to settle old scores, how would it feel? Although Mr. Hou described him as a sheep, I always imagined Yu Wenhua as a frightened lamb. It’s a very difficult thing.”

Xu Ziling admired the snow scenery along the way, and said with a smile: "We can see that this trip is a process of training, ending with the killing of Yuwen's bone, and fighting along the way to support the battle, and the Yuwen faction provides nutrients. In the current situation Now, Yu Wenhua has neither the time nor the energy to carry out a large-scale encirclement and suppression of us, and can only sit and watch us approach from time to time. I also really want to know how he feels, but I hate that there is no way to know."

Shen Mu's eyes flashed with deep hatred, and he said: "We have waited too long for this day, if we just assassinate Yu Wenhua bone suddenly, and just give him a pleasure for nothing, how can we vent our hatred! So we have to fight with Yu Wenwen bone Play a game of death and see whose fist is harder."

Xu Ziling laughed dumbly and said: "It should be said whose life is harder. The so-called centipede is dead but not stiff. What's more, the ice profound energy of Yuwenhua bone has reached the peak state, and there is still a Yuwen injury behind him, so we must Play smart."

Shen Mu laughed and said, "Who can stop my two brothers, hey!"

There was a strange sound coming from the front. If you could hear it more clearly, it was wheels, footsteps and human voices.

When the two of you looked at me, a large group of people in peasant costumes dragged men and women, supported the old and the young, and carried their belongings in ox carts and mule carts, crying loudly, and turning out from the corner, all of them looked panic-stricken. You can tell by looking that they are refugees who are fleeing their homes and avoiding misfortune.

Suddenly the official road was crowded with thousands of fleeing common people.

Shen Mu randomly grabbed one of them and asked, "What happened?"

The man replied: "Wei County has fallen!" After saying this, he hurried away with the brigade.

Xu Ziling grabbed another person and asked, "Are you going to hide from the Tang army?"

Seeing that he was upright, the other party felt at ease, and said, "What's so scary about the Tang army? What we fear is the retreating soldiers. Wherever you go, you won't turn back?"

Shen Mu said, "Where are you going?"

Another person replied: "There is no safe place in the north of the river. Only by escaping to the place of the young commander can we have a good life."

Shen Mu was startled and said, "What?"

The other party has no time to reason with him, so he hurried on the road.

The two stood aside, waiting for the tail of the team to pass by.

Xu Ziling smiled and said, "It seems that Xu Xingzhi managed Peng Liang well."

Shen Mu happily said: "In the future, if you win the world, let him be the emperor, and you and I will go outside the Great Wall to find Lao Ba for a drink."

Xu Ziling sighed again and said, "I'm a little afraid to go forward."

Shen Mu's expression darkened, he nodded and said: "You are afraid of seeing the horrific scene of the defeated army raping and looting again, and the people dying."

Xu Ziling said, "Let's go!"

There was a sound of hoofbeats, and amidst the tumbling sand, more than 20 riders came galloping at full speed, and it was Yu Wenhuaji's Wei Jun.

The two stood in the center of the official road and cut off the road.

When the enemy rider finally saw the two men, he was intimidated by their aura and did not dare to charge forward. He gradually slowed down and finally stopped about ten feet away from the two men.

The leader of the army in front opened his eyes angrily, and shouted: "Boy He Fang, why don't you get out of here!"

Shen Mu looked up to the sky and laughed loudly: "I don't change my surname when I'm in business, and I don't change my name when I'm sitting. That's true for Shen Mu. My brother Xu Ziling is by my side. If I have the ability, I will be forced to leave."

The faces of all the riders changed.

No one in the world knows the names of Shen Mu and Xu Ziling.

The head of the army exchanged a few glances with his subordinates, seeing that everyone was timid, coughed dryly and said, "So it's Master Kou and Master Xu. Please forgive the villain for offending me."

He turned his horse's head and wanted to turn around and leave.

Shen Mu shouted: "Wait a minute!"

The head of the army did not dare to move at the moment, he tried to calm down and said: "What orders do you two have?"

Xu Ziling said, "Why did you come here in such a hurry?"

The head of the army trembled and said: "We are ordered by the general to collect grain and grass from the people."

Shen Mu said angrily: "What is the expropriation of grain and grass? It is clearly a robbery of grain and goods from the common people. Who is the general?"

The head of the army said in a low voice, "It's the Yuwen scholar and the general."

The Yuwen Clan is best known for its two brothers, Yu Wenshu and Yu Wenshang. The former is an important minister in the old Sui Dynasty, and the latter is the lord of the clan, ranking second only to Song Que.

Yu Wenshu had three sons, namely Yu Wenhuaji, Yuwen Shiji and Yuwen Zhiji; Yu Wenshang had two sons, Yuwen Chengdu and Yuwen Wudi, both of whom died at the hands of Shen Mu in the Battle of Liangdu.

Yuwenshi and Geng were once the son-in-law of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty.

Xu Ziling shouted: "Go back immediately and inform Yuwen Shiji, tell him to ask Yu Wenhuaji to take good care of his life, and wait for us to pick it up. If we see you robbing people's food again, we will kill you without mercy. Get out!"

All the soldiers fled in a hurry as if they were granted an amnesty by the emperor.

Shen Mu looked at Chentou going away, shook his head and sighed: "The Yuwen Clan is really doomed. I have never seen such a team that has no fighting spirit. They just want to survive, and they don't even have the courage to test our authenticity."

Xu Ziling said: "According to my opinion, this group should be deserters, so they are not willing to sacrifice their lives for Yu Wenhua's bones. If the enemy wants to know that we are coming, I am afraid that there will be a big trouble."

Shen Mu said with a smile: "Then we have to go to Wuyang to have a glass of good wine!"

The aroma of roasting wolf meat attracted five or six dogs who were abandoned by their owners, salivating and waiting for Xu Kou's mercy.

When they entered the village that Jucun escaped from, they were not friendly to Xu Ziling and Shen Mu. It was not until they lit a bonfire to roast the wolf in the open space between the village houses that the attitude of the dogs changed from baring their teeth and waving their claws to docile.

This wolf also brought on its own misfortune, it joined forces with other hungry wolves to attack the two, and was slapped to death by Shen Mu, who dispersed the pack of wolves.

On the way here, waves of refugees rushed towards the direction of the Yellow River. It was sad to see, but there was no ability or method to change their plight.

Xu Ziling cut off the wolf meat with Shen Mu's long sword and distributed it to the dogs, letting them feast on it with great joy.At this moment, Shen Mu came to sit next to him with two jars of rice wine, and said with a smile: "As expected, I found two jars of privately brewed rice wine, and it tastes much more enjoyable."

Xu Ziling glanced at the dogs lying on the four sides to rest after eating, and sighed: "They are also victims of the war." He took the rice wine from Shen Mu.

Shen Mu pulled up the altar stopper, took two sips, and panted, "Good wine!"

Xu Ziling said: "We keep the wolf meat, how many days do you think they can eat?"

Shen Mu's eyes fell on the wolf meal that was eaten by a quarter of the dog, and said: "Should we have to endure two more days? Sigh! It makes me feel sad to tell you, let's eat the dry food that we carry with us instead! Wolf meat Give it all to them. These dogs are like our two brothers, and they don’t fight over food, which is really rare.”

Xu Ziling said: "If it's just a big piece of meat, they might compete for it. Let me cut up the wolf meat and distribute it evenly, so as to reduce their friction."

Shen Mu showed a thoughtful expression, watching Xu Ziling's saber up and down to make arrangements for the dog, a deep and unspeakable feeling surged in his heart, he handed the wine to Xu Ziling and said: "This trick of yours doesn't work for people, otherwise Li Shimin will They won’t attack Yuwenhuaji, and the Turkic people don’t need to covet the big piece of fat in the Central Plains.”

Xu Ziling took two sips and said: "Because people's thinking is much more complicated, and their desires are endless and never satisfied. Even if the world is superior, it's just because they have other ideals. It doesn't mean that they have nothing to ask for and will not do anything else. think."

Shen Mu said, "So what about Young Master Ling?"

Xu Ziling sat down with a wry smile and said, "What I desire most now is to avoid the suffering I see before me, and not have to think about the future fate of the dog. Doomed not to survive. But even if my people can avoid it, my heart cannot."

Shen Mu seemed to have something to say, but he didn't say it.He took out the dry food that Yang Gongqing had prepared for them and handed it to Xu Ziling.

Xu Ziling shook his head and said, "I'm not hungry!"

Suddenly his eyes flashed.

Shen Mu became alert at the same time, raised his eyebrows, and said in a deep voice: "Where is the expert coming, please show up and meet."

A burst of long laughter resounded among the trees behind the village, and only someone said: "Brother Kou and Brother Xu really deserve their reputation. The younger brother has always claimed to be good at hiding, but he still can't hide it from you two."

At this moment, the hairs of the dogs' necks stood on end, and their throats hummed. Xu Ziling hurriedly stopped, and walked out from the forest alone, giving people a feeling of bravery and tenacity. His complexion was dark and his appearance was simple. The mang is flickering, showing a superb skill, just like a real farmer.

I don't know whether it was because of his leisurely posture or Xu Ziling's stoppage was effective, the dogs stopped roaring and stopped being on guard.Two of them came forward to sniff him, the man smiled, reached out and stroked their heads, and said happily: "They are all good and tame dogs, it's too pitiful to be abandoned here!"

His expressions and words all had a sincere taste, which made the two of them have a good impression of him.

Shen Mu said: "Brother, sit down and talk."

The man sat down cross-legged on the other side of the bonfire, and said: "Little brother Zhang Jinshu is the charge pawn under Yan Wang Gao Kaidao."

Shen Mu and Xu Ziling didn't expect to meet someone from Gao Kaidao here, and they were both shocked.From this person's manner of speaking, it is determined that this gentleman is not a small soldier but a powerful minister and general.

Gao Kaidao is a native of Cangzhou Yangxin. He is as famous as the "Eagle and Yang Generals" Liu Wuzhou and Liang Shidu in northern Xinjiang, and his martial arts are superb.At the end of the Sui Dynasty, a crowd revolted, successively captured Beiping, Yuyang and other counties, and established itself as King of Yan with Yuyang as its capital.Because of the Turks in the north, although Dou Jiande's power is far superior to him, he still dare not speak lightly to him.

Zhang Jinshu took the rice wine that Shen Mu handed him, drank a few gulps, put down the wine jar and sighed: "I don't know if it's because the young marshal invited him to drink, it tastes really good."

Shen Mu smiled and said, "Good wine is good wine."

Seeing that he still did not forget to pet the dog sitting next to him, he nodded and said: "Brother Zhang loves dogs very much!"

Zhang Jinshu stared at the dog with a look of love and compassion, and said: "My little brother has loved livestock since he was a child, and he likes to make friends with them, so seeing the two of you putting in so much effort for the dog, I was moved and couldn't help but come out and talk to them." The two talk."

Xu Ziling said: "Brother Zhang is indeed a brilliant figure who goes unnoticed."

But Shen Mu said: "From Brother Zhang's tone, he didn't want to talk to us, what's the reason?"

Zhang Jinshu said: "I'm a guest in Wuyang. I just wanted to catch a glimpse of the extraordinary demeanor of the two men. I didn't intend to get involved in the dispute between the two men and the Yuwen family. But seeing the two treat the dog so kindly, I know how to meet you." People in the same way, how can there be any scruples."

Shen Mu laughed and said, "Come on! Drink."

The three of them took turns to drink heavily, enjoying themselves very much.

Zhang Jinshu raised his sleeves to wipe off the wine stains on his shoulders, focused on the flickering flames, and said: "The two of you have done Yuwen Shiji a great favor this time."

Shen Mu hurriedly asked why.

Zhang Jinshu said: "Scholar Yuwen was trying his best to see how he could surrender to the Tang Dynasty decently, but the two of them came here at this critical moment. Of course, Shiji Yuwen couldn't wish for it."

Xu Ziling listened to what the ground said was interesting, and asked with a smile: "What is a decent surrender?"

Zhang Jinshu said: "The thickness of the face is determined by the level of the official after surrender."

The two suddenly realized.

Shen Mu frowned and said, "Unexpectedly, Yuwen Shiji would betray his family! In this way, the defense line to the west of Wei State will be completely lost, and Yu Wenhuaji will have to flee back to Xucheng and wait for his death."

Zhang Jinshu lowered his voice and said, "Not only did Yuwen Shiji not betray the family, but he made the best choice for the family."

The two were at a loss when they heard it, and then they came to their senses again.

Zhang Jinshu really has extraordinary insight, under the overturned nest, how can there be any eggs!Today, Yu Wenhua and the Wei Kingdom are surrounded by enemies, which is absolutely unlucky. Instead of the entire family falling with the Wei Dynasty, if the special Yuwen scholars among them surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, the Yuwen Clan could continue to flourish.

In the current situation, Yuwen Shiji can definitely exchange Li Shimin for generous surrender terms.First of all, he is the son-in-law of Emperor Yangdi, and he is related to the Li family. Secondly, the Tang Dynasty was eager to capture the land of Wei before Dou Jiande's army went south. Coupled with another big gift from Shen Mu and Xu Ziling, it is even more easy to talk to each other when they meet a pervert.

As for Yu Wenhuaji, he was doomed to die in battle because of the burden of killing Emperor Yang to seize the throne, and he would never tolerate a general of the Sui Dynasty like Li Yuan who raised troops under the banner of defending the Sui Dynasty.Moreover, the Li family has always been fighting openly and covertly with the Yuwen faction, and the rift between them is very deep. The Yuwen scholars can stay out of the matter because they are son-in-law, and the surrender is easier for the Li family to accept.

Yuwen Shiji's descending to the Tang Dynasty should have obtained the secret consent of Yuwenshang and Yu Wenhuaji.

Shen Mu murmured: "Please forgive me for my shallow words, Brother Zhang is here in Wuyang this time, is there any special mission?"

Zhang Jinshu looked lovingly at the dog who was fascinated by his caress, and said indifferently: "The younger brother was ordered by King Yan to come to see the situation of the Tang army."

Shen Mu almost scratched his head when he heard it, because he didn't know the meaning of his words, but because the matter involved Gao Kaidao's strategy, he had no choice but to suppress his curiosity and stop asking.

Xu Ziling remembered something, and asked casually, "What's the situation outside the Great Wall? I heard that Xieli and Tuli are going to fight each other. Brother Zhang should know better than anyone else."

Zhang Jinshu said: "The two sides have indeed fought a few tough battles. Tuli still has the upper hand, but the initiative is in Xieli's hands, because Tuli has always been far behind Jieli in strength and is unable to expand the results of the battle. According to the current situation development Going down, Jieli will invite Bi Xuan to settle the matter and quell the internal strife and division. Alas! We were caught in the middle just now, and we have a deep understanding of what it means to be right and wrong."

Shen Mu frowned and said, "Don't King Yan know that the Turkic people have tiger and wolf hearts for us?"

Zhang Jinshu sighed: "So what if you know? The four troops in the frontier fortress, whether it is Liu Wuzhou, Guo Zihe, Liang Shidu, or our Yan army, the first thing is to survive. If you offend the Turkic people, they will attack them on a large scale. The Turkic cavalry Trampling under the iron hooves of the world, the cities will be turned into ruins, and the countryside will be turned into wasteland, who dares to take this risk.”

Shen Mu said: "The Turkic army is so powerful?"

Zhang Jinshu said: "The Turkic people grew up on horseback. They are born brave and good at fighting, and they are far more united than us Han people. The cooperation in battle is like a god's help, and they come and go like the wind. The strength of 1000 people is enough." It can reach the tens of thousands of our Han army, and if it weren't for the high mountains and the Great Wall in the northern border, there might not be an inch of peaceful land in the Central Plains."

Xu Ziling said: "Brother Zhang said just now that if Jieli can't subdue Tuli, he will invite Bi Xuan to persuade Tuli to reconcile. Brother Zhang, do you think Tuli will accept it?"

Zhang Jinshu said: "How could Tuli not accept it? East Turkic has Goguryeo and Khitan in the east, Xueyantuo and Huihe in the west. In recent years, they have become very powerful. If Jieli and Tuli fight endlessly, the first to suffer will be those who are weaker than Jieli. Due to the situation, Tuli can only withdraw when he sees good results."

Shen Mu took the opportunity to ask: "This time Song Jingang and the Turks invaded Taiyuan, brother Zhang, what do you think about the outcome?"

Zhang Jinshu said decisively: "If we confront each other head-on, even Li Shimin will be defeated."

Xu Ziling and Shen Mu looked at each other in dismay.

Zhang Jinshu smiled and said: "You two, don't blame the younger brother for being arbitrary, this is indeed sincere. However, wars are ever-changing, and the final result cannot be determined by one or two battles. The battle between Song and Li will be the biggest test for Li Shimin. Hope He can pass, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous."

The two were speechless, and they couldn't understand what Zhang Jinshu was thinking. Logically, he shouldn't have hoped that Li Shimin would win, but his tone didn't seem to be the case.

Zhang Jinshu lowered his voice and said, "I don't know if it's because everyone loves dogs, so my younger brother has a feeling of familiarity with the two, so I'm not afraid to tell the truth that all the heroes in northern Xinjiang, except Liang Shidu, were used by the Turks. Those who are not frightened by its lust, know that if the Turkic army really goes south, the people of China will be devastated, the catastrophe is imminent, and no one will be spared. The younger brother was ordered to be a bystander this time, precisely to judge the strength of the Tang army .”

Shen Mu was stunned, and guessed that Gao Kaidao had the intention of surrendering to the Tang Dynasty. The key lies in whether Li Shimin can repel the indirect invasion of the Turkic people through Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang.

Gao Kaidao's mentality represents the mentality of some of the less powerful separatist heroes, that is, when the Tang army is approaching the city, they surrender before they are qualified to negotiate conditions.

Xu Ziling wondered: "Why is it that only Master Liang wants the Turks to invade, and Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang are not counted?"

Zhang Jinshu said: "Among the heroes in northern Xinjiang, Liang Shidu has the closest relationship with the Turkic people, and Liang Shidu has Turkic blood. He has long regarded himself as Turkic rather than Han."

After a pause, he continued: "As for Liu and Song, if they have a choice, they will wait until the Tang army attacks Luoyang before launching an attack, so as to reap the benefits of fishermen."

(End of this chapter)

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