Song Dynasty

Chapter 185
The time has come to the midsummer of the fourth year of Jiankang, and it has been dry for two months. Today, there are finally layers of dark clouds in the sky.

The sky above was dark and dull, indicating that a long-awaited rain was about to fall, or so Liu Fu thought.

After such a long drought, the groundwater in the city has been exhausted, and the wells in various places have dried up one after another.Even if it is not dry, it is a viscous yellow soup.Even if it is this kind of yellow soup, who knows if it is polluted by corpses all over the city?If this situation continues, maybe after a while, everyone will die of thirst.

Since the implementation of military control, the troops have been short of food and water, and the soldiers have not suffered any losses.Anyway, the people who died were the people of Qichun, wielding swords all their lives, with their heads tied on their belts.Ever since they stood on the battlefield, everyone thought they were dead, and they didn't feel the same about the dead bodies all over the city.However, once there is no water, there is unavoidable panic in my heart, and the morale of the army is already unstable.

Liu Fu also knew the seriousness of the problem. Today, he spent all day on the city wall to boost morale.However, what greeted him was the numb eyes of the soldiers.

After getting down the city wall, the dark clouds above his head finally began to gather, which made him inexplicably happy - as long as the rain falls, there will be water.With the drinking water problem solved, morale will soon be restored.The most wonderful thing is that as long as the Qi River outside the city swells, Wang Shen's siege equipment cannot be moved below the city wall.

However, after sitting in his residence for a while and drinking a bowl of medicinal soup to reduce heat, there was still no sign of rain.

There was no strong wind coming as promised, the dark clouds were like a pot lid on the top of the head, and the whole city seemed to be put in a steamer.The air was as sticky as hot porridge, and sweat came out one after another, and soon soaked the single shirt on his body.

Looking out of the door again, the guards on duty were all sluggish, their lips were so dry that they were crusted, and their faces were full of pain.

Those guards were all Liu Fu's confidantes, the nephews he brought out from Hebei.

Seeing their application, Liu Fu couldn't bear it, and was about to ask someone to bring some bowls of medicinal soup to quench their thirst.But after thinking about it, there are thousands of soldiers in this city who are suffering from hunger and thirst. If I treat one more than another, is it still convincing?

After thinking about it, he sighed and closed his mouth.

At this time, someone came to report Lu Benzhong's visit.

"Ah, Master Lu is here, please hurry up." He hurriedly stood up, welcomed Lu Benzhong into the room, and asked him to sit down.

Unlike Liu Fu, who was covered in sweat and his chest was open, Lu Benzhong was still dressed in a clean and neat green skirt, and there was no trace of sweat on his fair face, which was obviously very spiritual and elegant.

Seeing his appearance, Liu Fu praised him in his heart: he is indeed a peerless national scholar, and he is really personable.Even with bruises on her face, she is still chic and calm!

After getting along for two months, Liu Fu admired Lu Benzhong's demeanor and resourcefulness so much, and he was also very respectful to him.

The servant Lu Benzhong sat down, and he smiled and said: "Master Lu is a clean person, the barracks is full of filth, why do you think this is coming to me today, old man?"

Lu Benzhong picked up a bowl of medicinal soup made from fat sea and honeysuckle and drank it smartly: "It's too hot today, and I can't stand it at home. I heard that General Liu's herbal tea is good, so I came here to ask for a sip. "

"Oh, how can I let Master Lu go to this incident in person, but if there is something to tell, I'll just ask someone to send it over."

Lu Benzhong smiled: "The old man has nothing to do, can I come and talk to you?"

This was the first time he came to chat with him on his own initiative, and Liu Fu felt a little flattered by such a famous person. He hurriedly picked up a piece of rock sugar with his chopsticks and put it in Lu Benzhong's tea bowl, and greeted him respectfully.

The two talked for a long time, then Liu Fu carefully looked at the sky outside, and asked: "Master Lu, it looks like a heavy rain in this weather, as long as the rain comes, we can be regarded as defending Qichun City. Although Wang Daosi defeated the coalition forces of various rebels, Zhang Yong, Cao Cheng and other leaders are all warriors on the battlefield, and they have a large number of soldiers. Since the occupation of Jianghan, there is sufficient food and fodder. It will win sooner or later. If you say timely rain, this is the timely rain that saves lives! In your opinion, when will the leaders of all walks of life be able to use troops against Huangzhou again in the next round?"

Earlier, Kong Yanzhou hypothesized that he had received letters from Zhang Yong and Cao Cheng, saying that the reinforcements had already gone to Huangzhou.This matter also deceived ordinary soldiers in the army. Liu Fu, who was at the core decision-making level, naturally knew that the reinforcements would not be able to get through in a short time.Within this radius of thousands of miles, the positions of the various armies have long been in mind.

This matter is related to the life and death of thousands of soldiers in the city, not only Liu Furi wanted to get in the way of this matter, even the guards guarding the gate pricked up their ears.The entire Kong family army is very superstitious about Lu Benzhong's strategy. Without him, this city of Qichun would have been taken by Wang Shen long ago.

Lu Benzhong caressed his beautiful beard and pondered for a moment: "If it rains and the river rises, Governor Wang Shen can't do anything, and he will naturally withdraw his troops. After all, his army is hanging out alone, and the rear is empty. Sooner or later, Zhang Yong and Cao Cheng will I will fight to get revenge. Wang Daosi is a shrewd person, so he naturally knows the importance of this."

Both Liu Fu and the guards smiled: "That's good, that's good."

However, Lu Benzhong's next sentence froze the smiles on their faces.

Lu Benzhong: "However, the rain won't come down!"

"how……"

Lu Benzhong: "General Liu is from the north, so he probably doesn't know the climate in our south. It's different from the northern land where there are heavy rains every summer. Although this place is close to the big river, the climate is strange. The rainy season is only Huangmei and two months in autumn. As for summer , usually rain, called summer drought.”

Seeing that they were puzzled, Lu Benzhong explained: "The reason is very simple. It is the season of rice flowering. If it rains, will they still grow? If the weather is like this, wouldn't all the people in this place starve to death? If it rains, just I'm afraid we have to wait until the rice is filled with grout, it's still early!"

He wanted to spread panic in the army, so he naturally started talking nonsense.

But Liu Fu and others were blinded.

Liu Fu looked worried: "But there are signs of rain in the sky?"

Lu Benzhong's eyes flickered in an unknown way, he chuckled, pointed outside and said: "General Liu Fu, there is a saying that goes like this, the sky is bright when there is rain, and the top is bright when there is no rain. Look at the sky above the head is bright, It doesn't look like it's raining!"

Liu Fu looked at it, and he couldn't help but see that the sky above his head was brightening.

Lu Benzhong saw the doubt on his face, so he straightened his face: "Why, General Liu Fu doesn't believe me?"

Liu Fu smiled apologetically, "How dare you?"

Lu Benzhong's expression turned ugly, and he snorted coldly: "If the old man says it won't rain, it won't rain. It will be a month of drought."

At this moment, a strong wind suddenly hit.The wind was so strong that the flag that had been drooping before unfolded with a "hoo".The dust on the ground rose from the sky, and it was all yellow in front of my eyes, like a thick fog, and the tiles on the roof of the house creaked.

After a hot day, everyone was refreshed by the cool wind. They only felt indescribably refreshed, except for the lingering smell of corpses.

Suddenly, Liu Fu's complexion changed drastically: "Oops, it really won't rain anymore."

How could he not know that when such a strong wind blows, the dark clouds that have gathered in the sky will immediately blow away.Strong wind and no rain, this is common sense, even a three-year-old child knows it.

Sure enough, when the strong wind blew for a while, the overhead lighted up, and the blue sky appeared again, which was so heart-poundingly blue.

Liu Fu was shocked: "Master Lu knows astronomy at the top and geography at the bottom. I'm convinced."

Complacent in his heart, Lu Ben smiled lightly and said, "Don't you still believe me? I know everything I know. When did I miscalculate?"

Liu Fu suddenly yelled: "Master Lu, if the rain won't fall, how...how can the city be guarded?"

This is what Lu Benzhong wanted, and he sighed, "Yes, we can't keep it up. If it doesn't rain, Zhang Yong, Cao Cheng and the others won't be able to fight it in a short time. I'm afraid we won't be able to hold on until then."

As soon as these words came out, Liu Fu and the guards all looked depressed and were speechless for a long time.

Seeing them like this, Lu Ben was very happy in the center, and then he remembered his purpose of coming here today.Taking a sip of the medicinal soup leisurely, he said lightly, "Since you can't keep it, then break out!"

"Breakthrough?" Liu Fu smiled wryly and shook his head: "The lord and Wang Dao's vengeance is as deep as the sea, and they will definitely not break through. Besides, the battle has been fought so far, the troops have basically been wiped out, and the food and fodder have been exhausted. With Wang Shen's courage, The Sizhou army is strong, and they have cavalry. Even if we barely stand out, there will not be many left. At that time, I am afraid that everyone will disperse. The army leader will lead the army all his life, and he will see the troops and the territory carefully. Extremely tight, how can you be willing?"

Lu Benzhong: "Because of this, the general is ready to become benevolent for the military master, hehe..." He smiled faintly: "As far as I know, the general and the soldiers under his command are not all the soldiers of the military master, and you are not masters and servants. When General Liu Fu raised troops in Hebei back then, all his subordinates were nephews from his hometown, and this time, he might not be here in Qichun City, so doesn’t the general want to leave some blood for the family and some seeds for the army?”

Hearing this, Liu Fu raised his vigilance, and said seriously: "Master Lu, the general admires your resourcefulness and character. This kind of thing that betrays the master and stands on his own is something that I, a man from the north, cannot do."

Lu Benzhong smiled faintly: "General Liu Fu is a straight man, but this old man admires him."

"Don't dare, I'm ashamed." Liu Fu continued: "I was born recklessly, and the military leader is a heroic man, a true hero, and he will be very generous to the last general, so I can only repay his kindness with my blood. "

Lu Benzhong nodded: "Should be, should be." He said leisurely: "General Liu Fu, I am afraid that things in the world are not as you imagined. Sometimes, we may not be able to make correct decisions. I don’t even know what’s right and what’s wrong.”

Liu Fu shook his head: "Master Lu, let's stop talking about these things."

Lu Benzhong: "The old man understands, so naturally he won't say these useless words again."

He picked up the medicine bowl and sneered in his heart: Hehe, I can't tell that this Liu Fu is a loyal idiot. When things happen, how will I choose?

At this moment, suddenly a guard rushed in in panic.Probably because he was too frightened, and when his foot tripped over the threshold, he fell into the main room with a plop, and could not help but groan in pain.

Liu Fu was furious: "Why are you so reckless, what happened?"

The guard was sweating all over his head and body: "General Liu Fu, the military master has an order, order you, order you..."

"What happened to me?" Liu Fu asked.

Guard: "Order to take the Yajun immediately, go and go..." He began to stutter.

The so-called Yajun refers to Kong Yanzhou's personal soldiers, who are the first-class warriors in the army.The armor equipment is first-class, and the daily cost is also the thickest in the army.In the past, his Ya army had a total of [-] people. After fighting for two months, there are less than [-] people left, and now they are kept in the army as the general reserve.

Since Zhang Yongbu Yang Zaixing was wiped out by Wang Shen, and the so-called rebels retreated back to Jianghan, Kong Yanzhou became decadent, drinking and carousing in the mansion all day long, not doing much work, anyway, Wang Shen's military operations have stopped, He should also take a good rest.That tooth army was also temporarily under the command of Liu Fu, and it was used at the most critical moment of the defensive battle.

Hearing this, Liu Fu was taken aback, and couldn't help shouting: "Did the Sizhou army start attacking the city again? No, why didn't I hear any movement? Come on, what's going on, the enemy Where did it come from, and where should we go?"

"No, no, it's not Wang Shen." The guard said, "Junjunjun... Junzhu ordered the general to take Yajun to suppress the rebellion in the courtyard."

"Rebellion, who is so courageous?" Liu Fu turned pale with shock, jumped up from the chair like an electric shock, subconsciously went to get the weapon, and opened his arms quickly to signal his subordinates to put on the armor for him.

The guard sweated even more: "Yes, yes, less... less, less... general."

"Ah!" Everyone shouted.

Lu Benzhong jumped up, and Yi Ji slapped him: "Speak well, don't hesitate, and say, what's going on?"

After a slap in the face, the guard who came to report the letter stopped stuttering, and said repeatedly: "The villain doesn't know what's wrong, I just heard that the leader of the Humane Army had drunk a lot of wine before, and ran to the back house after he was very drunk. Go there. Later, the military leader and the major general got into a quarrel and even used a knife. Later, the military leader was injured and retreated from the major general's house because he didn't arrive."

"Now, the military master is guarding the door, order the younger one to call General Liu Fu, and you immediately lead the Ya army to capture and kill the young general."

"Ah!" Liu Fu and the others exclaimed again: "This..."

After a while, he came back to his senses and shouted: "Assemble the tooth army, hurry up."

As he said that, he raised his waist knife and rushed out.

Lu Benzhong followed and asked in a low voice, "General Liu, what are your plans?"

Liu Fu: "How else can I plan, let's go and see first."

Lu Benzhong: "General Liu Fu, the so-called upright official can't decide family affairs. The general is also a loyal man. One is your current lord and the other is a young general. You have to get a charter first."

"Regulations?" Liu Fu paused, with a look of bewilderment.Ju Wuhe said, "Master Lu taught me."

Lu Benzhong shook his head: "What happened over there? The old man is as ignorant as you at the moment, so what can I teach you? I'd better go and have a look first. Anyway, in a word, let's try not to interfere with the military master's housework as an outsider. It’s good. If you do more and make more mistakes, it’s better not to do it.”

Liu Fu nodded: "Well, let's take a look first. This matter should be based on persuasion as much as possible. After all, it is a family relationship, so there is no need to go to war. As outsiders, we can only watch."

Persuade peace, see?Lu Ben sneered in the center, and said to himself: It is impossible for you Liu Fu to stay out of this matter, the old man will discuss it later to see how you choose.Hehe, anyway, as soon as today's incident happens, the Kong family's army will be disbanded, and the old man has to see how to add fuel to the fire.

He felt strange again, as far as he knew, Kong Yanzhou was highly skilled in martial arts, perhaps not as good as Hu Yantong and Yue Yun, two warriors in Wang Shen's army, but he was also a rare hero.In contrast, Kong Xian is much worse.How he beat Kong Yanzhou out of the house is a bit strange.

(End of this chapter)