Chapter 174: No Bitter Rain at Qingming this Year

Tiger Head City is a nail that must be pulled out by the North Mang army to the south.

Tiger head city of the huge and majestic, has always had “no more two place on the frontier, the northwest more and male” said, east and west length of four and a half miles, north and south width of about five miles. Beiliang Road took six years to build, it is rumored to exhaust the dynasty of the northwest half of the boulders and wood, the south door named Ding Ding door, but also criticized by the civil ministers away from the sun. Hutou City only north of the head of the city is placed on the winch twelve crossbows, vector road has seven streets, arrows as large as rafters, iron leaves for feathers, fast hair like thunder roar, the furthest up to seven hundred paces away! At the end of the Spring and Autumn period, Gu Jiantang attacked the old South Tang, and had used this crossbow to shoot through the South Tang navy’s large building ship, to show the Liyang war power. If it is not these huge bed crossbow deterrent and restrain, but let the North Mang foot soldiers wantonly push the attack equipment, Hu Tou City’s defense will never be like now so still have the strength to take more than a thousand large and small catapults to attack a city, this kind of thing only a madman can do, history only once in the middle of the Dafeng Dynasty from the prosperity of the decline of the city suffered from the disaster is the size of the capital of Dafeng is not inferior to the Tai’an City. Of course, to this day, although the North Mang center line has accumulated the same number of stone throwing vehicles, only throwing stone weight more than twenty or thirty pounds only, so overall, the cluster power is still far inferior to the middle of the Dafeng that was later known as the “smallpox” offensive.

Hutou City in addition to its own easy to defend and difficult to attack, also lies in the rear of the willow bud Poria two military towns to help restrain the North Mang, so that Hutou City does not step Xiangfan “ten years of orphaned city” dust, coupled with Hutou City within the 6,000 cavalry troops at any time you can take the initiative to attack, but also with the willow bud Poria’s elite cavalry echoed each other, and Huaiyangguan this line of defense at the same time with the rear of the more The defense line of Huaiyang Pass and the back of the four towns of the heavy mound is only a hundred miles away from each other, and all of them are not the horse guarding the city on horseback riding and shooting of the North Liang border army elite. If North Mang’s center line was not sufficiently strong and had absolute numerical superiority, then North Liang would have been the first to start a large-scale cavalry battle at any time. Thus, in the spring of Xiangfu 2, Hutou City became the sole protagonist, attracting most of the attention of both Liang and Mang.

After the Northern Liang Capital or Xu Fengnian’s personal decision to defend Hutou City for a year, under the auspices of Song Dongming, the deputy strategic envoy, and Tian Peifang, the assassin of Liangzhou, more than 10,000 foot soldiers, including 4,000 young strong men from Liuzhou, were quickly added to the two towns of Liubiao Poria from the territory of Liangzhou, carrying a large number of equipment and provisions, and traveled all the way north to enter the two military towns under the close escort of the White Feather Guards, which were led by Qi Dangguo himself. For this reason, the North Mang symbolically deployed 20,000 cavalry troops bypassed the tiger’s head city to try to intercept the south, but ultimately did not with the White Feather Guards dead, just two small-scale contact war. After this, the North Mang should have guessed the strategic intentions of the North Liang side, increased efforts to attack Hutou City, its siege methods are mainly derived from the Hulukou in Youzhou, but compared to the simple brutality of the two cities of the Crouching Bow Luanhe, the attack on the Hutou City, a lot of novelty, in addition to the stone-throwing car, the South Dynasty craftsmen also made a large number of toad cars for the North Mang army as a means of filling in the trench, and the archers to climb up to the heights of the flat shooting as well as the battlements of the destruction of the building, and also tried to pile up soil and build a new building in the city. There were also attempts to pile up earth and build mountains in front of the city, and even sent cavemen to explore the terrain and dig tunnels day and night in order to break down the walls of the city or to pass through the city. Hutou City made all kinds of responses to this, the North Mang foot soldiers like death, rushed forward to thatch and branches wrapped in soil thrown into the trench, thrown like clouds, Hutou City will be burned red iron beads shot into the trench, drilling into the cracks of firewood and grass, and ultimately, the ashes and soil but only a few inches taller than the North Mang expected a long way off. Hutou City dug a trench inside the city wall to invite the interception of crypts, and attacked it with fire, the North Mang nearly a thousand soldiers suffocated to death, a miserable death. Hutou City for the North Mang nearly a thousand stone-throwing car continuous attack, but also early preparation, Liu Yunu well planned, has long been ordered to prepare more than 400,000 pieces of adobe, used to supplement the walls of the battle, with the bad with the replacement, although not as strong as the initial rammed earth version of the wall, but this makes the North Mang originally used to win the stone-throwing car just become the icing on the cake of fancy objects. When the Northern Mang used the most stupid method to raise the earth as a mountain outside of Hutou City, everyone below the 10,000 captains to carry the earth, Liu Yunu counterbalanced the Northern Mang with his own way, digging tunnels to empty their foundations, sinking thousands of the Northern Mang enemy army in one fell swoop, the mountain collapsed when the earth cracked, the dust flew, and even far away from Huaiyangguan Beiliang capital can see.

Even Chu Lushan, who rarely praises others, can’t help but marvel at the words, “What an offensive and defensive Liu Yunu!”

As for the North Mang generals who have suffered enough, for this famous North Liang general who has long been famous, it is more and more everyone hates to eat his flesh.

Liu Bud Poring in each get five thousand foot soldiers to help defend the city, the two towns of light cavalry will be able to completely let go, at the same time, Xu Fengyen personally ordered the fiber away from the ranch within the Liangzhou horse farms, for the original need to take into account the long distance raids Liu Bud Poring two towns to replace or replenish the horses, to the pursuit of the explosive power as the sole purpose, Xu Fengyen and the capital of the city of Liu Bud Poring to formulate a rule, the next battle should be to Two hundred miles as the boundary, as long as you find the right opportunity, you do not need to report the military situation to the capital, you can go out of the city on your own to look for the Northern Mang cavalry to fight, the only requirement is to be able to save the main force after the battle, regardless of victory or defeat! This is really unimaginable military order for the Beiliang border army, there is even a good thing that they are not punished after losing a battle? Poria willow buds two town generals also specifically went to Huai Yang Pass to ask about this, for fear that the news is transmitted incorrectly, but the answer was positive, after the two cavalry generals meet to discuss, are somewhat stifled and resentful, think the king and Chu protects that this is to look down on their two towns of cavalry fighting strength ah. Poria military town cavalry, soon with just a few big ranch to welcome thousands of “new daughter-in-law”, to find a vent, get the crossbowman report, in the teeth slope area with the North Mang a pariah cavalry hard to do a fight, four thousand North Mang cavalry dead can’t beat, to the west rout, a name Kilvorongguan’s cavalry lieutenant advised the town of the army! The main general Wei Liang can not pursue, Wei Liang do not listen to the advice, tail chase more than thirty miles, for eight thousand mang cavalry ambush, with the Poria cavalry at the end of the Kilvolt Longguan at the critical moment, the rate of 500 riders to break the formation of the North Mang big standard, and after this swore to die after the temple, which gave the Poria cavalry main force to retreat to win a valuable time, Kilvolt Longguan body armor embedded arrows as many as six, five hundred troops survived only less than a standard of the men, although the war Although North Mang’s losses were greater than North Liang’s, Poring’s cavalry on Liangzhou’s second line of defense was almost wiped out, even if there were still 5,000 foot soldiers guarding the city, but without the cavalry, the original two wings of the defense line will be broken. Wei Liang went to Huai Yang Pass to apologize for this, but Xu Feng Nian did not punish the main general of Poring, but only promoted that Kifu Long Guan, who was casually thrown into the Poring military town as a small lieutenant by himself, to be promoted to a school inspector under the school lieutenant above the lieutenant, to lead the 1,000 cavalry troops after the quota was filled, and set up a standardized battalion, which was allowed to increase its strength every time it made an achievement, and would ultimately cap its strength at 3,000 cavalrymen. This is after the Hulukou infantry tiger battalion was withdrawn from the battalion and the Youzhou cavalry set up a new non-retreat battalion, another notable event, Kilvulongguan, this Northern Mang horse fence originated from an unknown pawn, began to make a splash in the Beiliang Border Army.

Within the Beiliang capital, Chu Lushan is discussing with the generals whether or not they should transport troops to Hutou City, the two sides argue fiercely, the focus of the quarrel is to open up this road to pay a huge price in the end there is no meaning, now everyone is clear that the Hutou City to accommodate another fifteen thousand people is not a problem, the real problem is not to go in to, the willow buds Poria’s cavalry involvement for the time being can only be done to make the North Mang can not be in the south of Hutou City to start a stable Attack, this is a world of difference with the North Liang border army from the south gate swinging support Hu Tou City. The insisting side thinks that the cost of sending 15,000 people into Hutou City will be the loss of more than 10,000 cavalry, while the opposing side insists that this loss is too much underestimation of the North Mang’s strength and determination, this desperate act is just what they want to do, the North Mang is worried about not being able to open up the situation, this is the North barbarians doze off and we, the North Liang, send a pillow, then not to mention the loss of 10,000 cavalry, or 30,000 are not enough to fill the hole south of the Hutou City. The first thing I want to do is to make sure that we have a good team. Then some people proposed Poria willow buds two towns at the same time, boldly advancing, to the North Mang stationed in the plains of the dragon’s eye to start harassment of the North Mang army, for the direction of the Huai Yang Pass to the delivery of troops to play cover. But soon there are people who oppose, to Dong Zhuo and other people’s brains, this kind of seemingly good intentions but actually inferior use of troops is tantamount to take the initiative to say hello to the northern barbarians, afraid that they do not know that we Northern Liang have action.

Chu Lushan, whose ears are full of noises, calmly said: “With the increase in troops of Liu Bud Poria, the Northern Mang must have surmised that we want to use Hu Tou City as a support point for our intentions, otherwise they wouldn’t have given the Poria Cavalry a few days ago to set up a trap. So there is no doubt that North Mang is now guessing when we will support Tiger’s Head City rather than guessing if we will support Tiger’s Head City.”

When Chu Lushan opened his mouth to speak, immediately the entire room fell silent, and each of the unruly and untamed border army primus generals naturally pricked up their ears to listen intently.

Chu Lushan continued to say without warmth: “then we will strive to pick a time they do not think to do this thing, there is no such opportunity, then only not to do. Gentlemen, tiger’s head city to guard, but don’t forget why we have to guard tiger’s head city’s original intention, not to guard the city and guard the city, but to maximize the preservation of our Liangzhou defense line, exchange of forces, even if it is our border army to one person’s life in exchange for two North Mang barbarians, it is meaningless. Of course, during this period, we can go along with the trend to attract a few North Mang cavalry to leave the main army, or even directly simply put 15,000 people in the back of Huaiyang Pass, but do not go to move, but you can let the military town cavalry on the front line of the heavy mounds to pour out, to come to a large-scale battles of how the North Mang can not even think of, and then withdraw when they win.”

Chu Lushan said here, stretched out his fingers and knocked his head, leathery smile said, “Hutou City has Liu Yunu, he will do a good job of defending the city, everyone here, we have two legs in addition to two legs, there are also four legs of the warhorse to help run the road, don’t ever go down one road to the black. In the final analysis, now we and the North Mang army are in the area of Hutou City and Huaiyang Pass with big eyes, who are in the snail shell, both sides hooked up, it depends on who’s doing the Tao to be more unexpected.”

Although the matter of Tiger Head City support did not come to any clear conclusion, but Chu Lushan spoke, the generals present will no longer have objections. Afterward, Chu Lushan accompanied Xu Fenian for a walk in the capital city to take a break, Chu Lushan sighed softly, “It’s a pity that it was botched.”

Xu Fenian laughed softly, “Perhaps this is a case of man’s plans not being as good as heaven’s plans, when I move a stone to stone my own feet well.”

Chu Lushan shook his head, still with some regretful face. At that time, after Xu Fengyen gave that military order to the two towns of Liu Bud Poria, Wei Liang’s rash pursuit and Beimang’s ambush were actually expected by the capital, in fact, once the cavalry led by Wei Liang fell into a deadlocked situation, at the most to support for half an hour, there would be a long distance running Qingyuan cavalry to join the battlefield, and in one breath, ate up the Beimang’s decoy cavalry and the subsequent ambush army. Just suddenly appeared out of nowhere a both a sense of crisis and dare to die in the battle of the young lieutenant begged Longguan, destroyed all the layout, Xu Fengyen and the capital government can only be mute to eat the bitter can not say. Such an opportunity, belonging to the village after this store, no is no, North Mang certainly think that North Liang will not “repeat the mistake” head into the ambush circle, North Liang also lost to North Mang under a chain of good opportunity.

Chu Lushan suddenly laughed, “The Ministry of War in the capital, finally remembered to ask us for military information about the North Mang offensive.”

Xu Fengyen sneered, “Don’t take care of is, if at that time the Ministry of war to observe the borderlands of that group of people, have the courage to go to the gourd mouth of Youzhou or to come to our Huai Yang Pass, I also do not stop them to observe the war, now since their own rolled out, then there is no good thing under the sun lying down and enjoying the blessings of the good things.”

Chu Lushan nodded, somewhat gloating, “That Yuan mad dog is now riding a tiger, Wang Jingchong and Da Ruzhi Murowei, the two press bowls hands down a great victory to him, now the imperial court are all scoffing at the war power of the Northern Mang, Yuan Tingshan has also become a general of Jizhou as he wished for, it is estimated that Gu Jiantang hates to cut this son-in-law who only cares for his own promotion and wealth, the The more the easternmost front of North Mang is ‘unbeatable’, the more difficult it is for us, General Gu, to ask for money, food and weapons from the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of War. This is not the two Liao said to build 6,000 people Stranger Sword Infantry Formation, the Ministry of households has not yet said anything, the minister directly gave a ‘life a, want money no’ of the crisp reply?”

Xu Fengnian lamented, “Looking back now, when Yuan Guo was promoted from the Ministry of Rites, which was a clear water government office, to the Ministry of Revenue, which was in charge of a dynasty’s money bag, on the surface, it looked like he was deeply favored by the saints, but in fact, he was not. Zhao Zhuan real degree of beloved, the six ministries seat will only be the Ministry of Rites as the first, and then the Ministry of mandarins and the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Households is only slightly higher than the Ministry of Criminal Affairs Ministry of Industry. The house leaks, Yuan Guo then made another mistake in the small court meeting, the only suspense lies in who will leave the six ministries earlier, him and the Ministry of War Lu Baijie.”

Chu Lushan snickered, “In the end, the new ruler still does not trust Gu Lu’s disciples, and the matter of changing the Liyang version of the register is not a test of Yuan Guo and the others. At the moment there is not a rumor that there will be a deputy envoy of the festival in the jurisdiction of the vassal king, I guess Lu Baijie and Yuan Guo will have to get out of Tai’an City, one will go to the southern border of the disgusting Yan Ci Wang, and the other will go to the place where the vassal king has recently taken up his position.”

Xu Feng Nian nodded, “The southern border will definitely be there, most likely the Tongxi Sword Immortal who disappointed Zhao Zhuan and never considered him as one of his own, Yuan Guo will be relatively better, he should go to the side of the Han King who has always been on bad terms with Zhao Zhuan, if he performs well, Yuan Guo will still have a slight chance to return to the center of the imperial court, while Lu Baijie will definitely spend his life bouncing around the local area, and with one less Secretary of the Ministry of War, destined to have a series of promotional changes, the court or to appease some of the local military generals, two birds with one stone, after all, the posthumous title is a thing only after death, the Ministry of War’s official position is the real thing.”

Chu Lushan sneered, “In addition to the temple chaos when the Liyang Zhao family was living in a remote area, there has not been such dazzling high-level turmoil for many years.”

Xu Fengnian shook his head and said, “Actually not quite the same, the current chaos, it is the ordinary people watching the scene that will feel a mess, in fact, it is the order in the chaos, the capital officials have a bottom in their hearts.”

Chu Lushan nodded his head, “So Qi Yanglong still has a few brushes, worthy of being the old man that Zhao Dun used to replace Biye’er.”

Xu Fengyen laughed softly, “Zhao Zhuan’s willingness to reuse Tan Tan Weng in a solid manner proves that he, the young emperor who is busy covering the dragon chair with his ass, has not lost his mind after all.”

Chu Lushan and Xu Fengnian unconsciously walked outside the corridor of the Yamaya where Yu Luan Dao served at the beginning, the two of them stood under the eaves of the house, one interlacing his fingers, the other with his hands folded into his sleeves, these two biggest figures of Beiliang, standing side by side like this, it looked a bit comical.

Chu Lushan gently exhaled a breath, looked at the fog in front of his eyes slowly dissipated, said: “Youzhou cavalry out of a Yu Luan knife, Xiaguang City also emerged a repeatedly built Liu Hao see, now Liangzhou at least have a Kilowatt Long Guan, this is a good thing, I’m just waiting for the flow of state of those more than 100,000 refugees who is the first to come to the forefront. And that Hong Pei seems to be not bad, his temperament is a bit like Huang Fu Ping, this type of person, born for the chaotic world.”

Xu Fengyen helplessly said, “Northern Mang also has the stream of Seedan, and will gradually surface in the general trend in the future as well.”

Chu Lushan was about to speak, a white horse righteousness lieutenant suddenly walked quickly into the courtyard, his face was a bit hard to hide the oddity, cupped his fists and said in a deep voice: “Your Highness, Lord Dugu, there is a person who seeks to see you, claiming to be the Guangling Dao Kou Jianghuai.”

Rao Xu Fenian and Chu Lushan could not help but look at each other.

Which show is this?

Chu Lushan asked with a smile, “Are we going to sweep the couch to welcome him, or are we going to leave this famous general of Western Chu, who is famous all over the world, hanging out to dry?”

Xu Fengyen said to the White Horse Boxer, “Bring him here.”

Soon there was a stout young man appearing in their field of vision, which seemed to be equal to this person brazenly intruding into the field of vision of the entire Beiliang Border Army.

Kou Jianghuai, who entered the Northern Liang Road alone, did not carry a sword, nor did he have too much scholarly style, not even as elegant as many of the scholars who went to Liang, but more like a local scholar in Northern Liang, looking at the kind of character who could ride a horse and kill the enemy even after reading the holy books.

Kou Jianghuai glanced at the Lord Protector who was indeed hard not to be seen, then stared at Xu Fengnian and opened the door, “Xu Fengnian, I, Kou Jianghuai, can serve Northern Liang, but there is a condition, if one day I must be allowed to bring 10,000 Northern Liang iron cavalry riders to rush to the Guangling Road, as for what to do, you don’t have to care, Kou Jianghuai is confident that he can withstand 10,000 cavalry troops.”

Chu Lushan laughed, “Those green house flower girl raise their own price, also not as brazen as you Kou Jianghuai. To say that you Kou Jianghuai is in the Guangling Road side, not to mention can be 10,000 cavalry, is 20,000 30,000, I can tolerate, but here, where you have the confidence to have 10,000 Beiliang iron horsemen’s value? What, did fighting Zhao Yi and Song Kasa give you the confidence? With the ‘outstanding’ combat power of their cavalry? Do they deserve to be compared to my Northern Liang Cavalry?”

Kou Jianghuai’s face turned blue, still gazing at the Northwest Clan King who was even younger than him.

Xu Fengnian shook his head, “You want to use the Northern Liang Cavalry to break the game, I won’t agree to it.”

Kou Jianghuai wore a sneering smile, “I didn’t realize that the clan king with the most powerful army in the Liyang Dynasty would only have so much courage. Don’t you, Xu Fengnian, know that the more the Guangling Road makes the Liyang court anxious, the more the Zhao family will truly rely on you, the Northwest Xu Family? At that time, as long as you Xu Fengnian willing to lend me troops, to see the court still dare not take the two matters of registration and transportation to make things difficult for Northern Liang? To take a step back, I borrow troops, also will not be openly under the banner of the Northern Liang cavalry. If I take a step back, wouldn’t it be more favorable to Northern Liang to change the name of the country from Zhao to Jiang? Princess or not, Cao Changqing or not, as well as I, Kou Jianghuai, are not destined to be the Liyang Zhao family, and instead of dragging Beiliang’s hind leg ……”

Xu Fengnian calmly said, “To be honest, this kind of thing, I have thought about it privately when I was bored, bite the bullet and give you 20-30,000 cavalry, and Guangling Road will be taken. But if we talk about helping you Xichu to fight for the world, not to mention 20,000 to 30,000, or even 50,000 to 100,000, it’s all a drop in the bucket. Do you really think that Chen Zhi Bao of Western Sichuan and Gu Jiantang of the two Liao are two stakes? Do you really think that the more than 100,000 elite border troops in the southern border are just watching the show? When the time comes, not to mention waiting for you Jiang to become the emperor and then support the northwest, I am afraid that the North Mang would have already driven south. Kou Jianghuai, you say I don’t have a big vision, I don’t deny it, but you just have an even smaller vision.”

Xu Feng Nian held back his laughter and said, “Furthermore, this kind of crappy lobbyist of yours, especially this handful of words, it really isn’t smart, when I Xu Feng Nian walked the rivers and lakes back then, I pretended to be a philistine and played God, and I could more or less cheat some coppers each time, as for you, not to mention 10,000 cavalrymen, even a single one of them couldn’t be brought out of Bei Liang.”

Chu Lushan laughed so hard.

Kou Jianghuai did not show the reasonable annoyance, but some regret and a little relief. This young man just stood in silence in the courtyard, slightly lonely and depressed.

Xu Fengyen walked down the steps and asked, “Do you know why Cao Changqing did not let you lead the army?”

Kou Jianghuai said in an indifferent tone, “He thinks that I am just a member of the generals, not a marshal, and should see the farther Tai’an City, not the little gain or loss of Guangling Road.”

Now it was Xu Fengnian’s turn to be surprised, curious: “Then what exactly do you think?”

Kou Jianghuai calmly said, “I only know one thing, with only the strength of Western Chu itself, what’s the point of fighting under Tai’an City?”

Chu Lushan tsked, “You kid is not stupid either. Only compared to the conscientious Xie Xijian, you Kou Jianghuai have a bigger appetite.”

Kou Jianghuai looked at this “small mountain” and asked, “As a military general, between Xu Snapu, who has lost many battles, and Ye Baikui, who has won many battles in his life and only lost one, who would you choose to be?”

Chu Lushan nodded his head and said, “Makes sense.”

Kou Jianghuai smiled full of self-deprecation, then directly turned around and left.

Xu Fengyen did not make a sound until he walked out of the courtyard.

Chu Lushan asked in a low voice, “Did you really just let this river-crossing scow slip away?”

Xu Fengyen said softly, “Compared to Kou Jianghuai, I still appreciate Xie Xijian who is at will more.”

Chu Lushan hmmmed, “Xie Xiyuan is at ease to use, but Kou Jianghuai is hard to say.”

Xu Fengnian suddenly shouted, “Kou Jianghuai, come in, your footsteps after leaving the courtyard are so slow, who are you showing it to?”

Kou Jianghuai really reappeared back at the courtyard entrance.

Xu Fengnian smiled and said, “How many Northern Liang Cavalry you can take away depends on your own ability. From today onwards, not only Huaiyang Pass, but also the cavalry army of the two towns of Willow Bud Poria will be yours to mobilize, after subtracting the losses of Northern Liang, how many Northern Mangs you can kill, then I will give you as many as you want of any cavalry army other than the Great Xue Dragon Riders and the two heavy cavalry armies. But in advance, those cavalry armies aren’t for you to take to fight Tai’an City, they’re just to help you leave some of the Western Chu Yuan Qi behind. Then you have to return here with all the people. In fact, you and I know it very well that Guangling Road is not suitable for you to ko Jianghuai, and Beiliang is exactly suitable. This deal, do you do it or not?”

Kou Jianghuai’s face was uncertain.

Xu Fengyen reached out and pointed, “Okay, okay, the trick of asking for money from the sky, I, Xu Fengyen, am just as much your predecessor, you, Kou Jianghuai, came here with this idea from the beginning, and I didn’t haggle much, so just be content.”

Kou Jianghuai laughed, “I am not good at acting, but you Xu Fengnian also don’t get a bargain, once Western Chu is defeated and the momentum is gone, can you really let go of our Princess and not go to save her? Not the same to bring troops to rob people? I’m just helping you find a step down.”

Xu Fengyen nodded his head in a serious manner and said, “Well, it seems that we are not good birds?”

Chu Lushan looked at this peak scene in front of him and was a bit speechless, young people nowadays ah.

Covered in dust, Kou Jianghuai said without seeing the field: “There is no place to sleep, I first sleep well for a day and a night, leading the army to kill the North Mang barbarians, wait for me to sleep and then say.”

Chu Lushan laughed and scolded, “You are the master.”

Waiting for Kou Jianghuai to be led away, Xu Fengyen looked up at the gray sky and fell into deep thought. After walking down the steps Chu Lushan also did not interrupt ah, quietly stood next to the closed eyes.

After a long time, Xu Fengyen slowly said: “Even if Kou Jianghuai with a pseudonym, the pros and cons of the future is still not easy to say.”

Chu Lushan was a bit puzzled, “We don’t need to care about the court side, now is almost the worst situation. A Kou Jianghuai as 10,000 horsemen, in fact, is not really that kid bragging, Qinghe heavy mound that line has Zhou Kang Gu Da Zu town, don’t have to worry about anything, but Huaiyang Pass this side of the war, Huang Lai Fu and others can’t, it can only be by me personally on the battlefield, there is a Kou Jianghuai we can be a lot easier. Why do you still say this?”

Xu Fengnian bitterly said, “Maybe I am thinking too far ahead.”

Chu Lushan quickly understood and lamented, “It is a bit far. But distant water cannot quench the thirst of the near.”

Xu Fengnian nodded and smiled, “That’s right, we should still use Kou Jianghuai to solve our immediate needs first.”

Chu Lushan hesitated for a moment.

Xu Fengnian patted his shoulder and walked out of the courtyard.

Chu Lushan stood in place and muttered, “Is it because he is afraid that I, Chu Lushan, will really throw three hundred pounds of meat on the sands one day that he agreed to Kou Jianghuai to stay?”

Approaching the Qingming Festival.

There was no rain in Northern Liang at this time this year.

The hearts and minds of the Northern Liang Road are also stabilizing, Liangzhou Hu Tou City has always been as stable as Mount Taishan, and Hulukou’s side of the shaky Xiaguang City has also been defended. Liuzhou young and strong one after another into the states border army, and Liu bud Poria two towns main general head suddenly more a real general surnamed kou, the nominal title is the vice general of Liangzhou. There are Yu Luan knife in the Yuzhou Yu Luan outside the gourd mouth of the illustrious war in front of the jade, Liangzhou border on this is not strange. This also proves that the young feudal king’s control over the military and government of Northern Liang is getting bigger and bigger, and this is definitely not something that can be done just because his surname is Xu.

The festival of Qingming is located at the intersection of mid-spring and late spring, when the air is clear and the landscape is bright, and everything is visible, hence the name. In previous years, northern Liang and the Central Plains roughly the same customs, in addition to the tradition of sweeping tombs and ancestral worship, there are night lights to pray for blessings, inserting willows to ward off evil spirits, etc., but this year, the northern Liang Road, each state and county officials have specifically ordered not to insert the willows to wear willow, and there is no explanation of what. Qingming is one of the ghost festival, and in the willow buds green time, so “Yang branch on the household, the ghosts do not enter the home” a phrase, popular. Only nowadays, many of the prickly characters in Beiliang have either left the country long ago, or have been cleaned up to be obedient, for this kind of harmless triviality there is no storm of dissent.

In the second year of Xiangfu, Liangzhou was clear and without rain, and the weather was soft and favorable.

But Liangzhou Qingliang Mountain is located in the state city, there is a kind of wordless solemnity, there are constantly big people with their own riders pouring into the city. Except for the Northern Liang capital Chu Lushan who stayed at Huaiyang Pass, the cavalry commander Yuan Zuozong who didn’t go south, and the infantry commander Yan Wenluan who sat at the border of Youzhou, the rest of the border generals almost without exception rushed to this state city, Zhou Kang, Gu Dazu, He Zhongshu, Chen Yuntui, the assassin of Youzhou Hu Kui, the general of Youzhou Huangfu P’ung, and even the strategic envoy Li Gongde and the assassin of Lingshu, Xu Beihao, also arrived one after another.

This was the first time after Xu Fengyen’s hereditary replacement of the Northern Liang King that the Qingliang Mountain royal residence had seen such a star-studded gathering, and the occasion was unprecedented.

The next day was the Qingming Festival, and the two riders from the northern Liang border gate quietly entered the city in the night, and after entering through the southern city gate, they went all the way north along the main street, heading straight for the Northern Liang King’s Mansion which was full of legends to the Liyang dynasty and the countryside.

Kou Jianghuai, the Vice General of Liangzhou who assumed the name of Kou Beishang, turned his head to Xu Fengnian beside him and laughed as he rode slowly, ”Is there still someone who went to the King’s Mansion to assassinate you now? There shouldn’t be any more. One of the four great masters in the world, Xu Fengnian, whether he is the king of Northern Liang or not, no one dares to seek their own misfortune.”

Xu Fengnian laughed it off.

After getting acquainted with this Kou Jianghuai, Xu Fengyen realized that this guy has a cool look that does not allow people to enter, but in fact, he is a chatterbox, and if he doesn’t open the box, he can’t close it once he opens it. This way counterparts, Xu Fengyen first traveled the rivers and lakes when the story of embarrassing things, almost all to Kou Jianghuai break the pot to ask the end. On the contrary, Kou Jianghuai has never taken the initiative to ask about the military affairs of Beiliang, occasionally talking about the military affairs of Guangling which is enough to affect the hearts of the world, but also always hangs back, so that Xu Fengyen’s eyes were opened to the fact that there is such a kind of generals in the battlefield of the fierce generals and the feather fan and spandex scarf of the Confucian generals. Sword practice Kou Jianghuai for Xu Fengyen not only traveled with Li Chungang Jianghu, but also had an encounter with Deng Tai’a, that call a two-eyed light, and can not wait for Xu Fengyen to the successive two God of the Sword of the preferences of what to wear what to eat what to eat are asked clearly, so when Xu Fengyen said that the old man of the sheepskin fur like to pick his feet and digging the earwax of the truth, on the spot after the collapse of Kou Jianghuai silent for about half a day, and it was not easy to regain their composure! Kou Jianghuai said, “So that’s the style of a master”, “Not being a part of the world, no wonder he can practise the world’s best sword, it seems that I have to wear a tattered fur too”, but when Xu Fenian said that the Peach Blossom Sword God’s appearance was not at all elegant, in fact, he was even better than Kou Jianghuai. After Xu Feng Nian said that the Peach Blossom Sword God’s appearance was not at all as elegant as jade, but was actually more “approachable” than Kou Jianghuai, Kou Jianghuai started to be silent again. When Kou Jianghuai had managed to finish healing, Xu Fengyen came back with a sentence that he had practiced martial arts for only three or four years, but he had practiced a great master by chance. This made Kou Jianghuai, whose sword skill was actually quite not bad, grief-stricken and completely shut up. Until now, Kou Jianghuai entered Liangzhou City, Kou Jianghuai finally some soul.

After being able to vaguely see the lights of Qingliang Mountain, Kou Jianghuai suddenly said as if he was relieved, “Although you purposely speak softly, but actually I know that you have today’s scenery hard-won.”

Xu Fengnian smiled blandly, “If saying so can make you a bit more mentally balanced, then that’s how you understand it. Well, let me roughly calculate, probably since I went to Wudang to practice sword, from the second grade small master, to the land immortals above the realm of celestial, really counting up, six realms, seems to be more than a year to break the realm once. By the way, it seems that you are still a small master nowadays, not to the vajra realm, right, ‘good luck’, four or five years later, it is possible that you are the world’s number one expert.”

And so Kou Jianghuai stopped talking.

This Vice General of Liangzhou was still sickly as he entered the weathered royal residence.

Two young tiger kui hurriedly ran to greet Xu Fenian, the tiger kui nicknamed vajra jumped directly into Xu Fenian’s arms, and his elder sister “Bodhisattva” also affectionately and gently bit Xu Fenian’s robe.

Then Xu Fengyen left Kou Jianghuai at Hearing Tide Lake, and took the two happy young tiger kui to Wutong Courtyard, where his second sister Xu Weixiong and Lu Shengyan were naturally there, busy with those young women who had the reputation of being “female Hanlin”, the second sister just looked up at Xu Fengyen and then lowered her head, and when Xu Fengyen walked over to Lu Shengyan’s table, to his surprise Wang Chudong this girl also has a place in Wutong courtyard, the desk is next door to Lu Chenyan, seems to be writing a doomed to not be concerned by the Liyang literary world of the “Northern Liang Ying Ling Collection”, Xu Fengyen moved a chair to sit between them, the little girl is still lifting up the pen in a daze, that is very serious to go to daze the playful look, so that Xu Fengyen and Lu Chenyan looked at each other and laughed.

Not far away after Xu Weixiong was busy approving a spy report, he put down his pen, rubbed his wrist and said softly, “Lu Dang will enter the capital just in these few days, you should have let Mi Fengjie and Fan Xiaochai tie him to Qingliang Mountain at that time, Deputy Secretary Song would have been a lot easier.”

Xu Fengyen raised his hands and begged for mercy, “I didn’t abduct a Kou Jianghuai back, it’s also considered to make up for my mistakes.”

Xu Weixiong glared: “Kou Jianghuai does not come to Beiliang, just ‘shall not’, but help Zhao Xun submit sparse policy Lu Dang arrived in Tai’an City, for Zhao Zhuan use, but will be harmful to Beiliang, is ‘loss’, how can the two be confused? ”

Xu Fengyen had a bitter look on his face, not daring to refute.

Lu Shengyan also did not help with words, just smiled slightly at him.

That hindsight “a book to win” Wang Donghang Wang Da Literature, finally found Xu Fengyen sitting close at hand, shocked body backward, even with the chair together fell back, Xu Fengyen gently reached out a virtual pull, pull the chair back to its original position, the joke of the Wang Chudong face full of groundless self-consciousness, seems to want to find a place to hide, like a scared little fox. a panicked little fox. Xu Fengyen made a face at her, and she immediately smiled brightly, her eyes narrowed into a crescent moon, and her cheeks also had dimples.

Xu Fengnian laughed, ”Don’t get too tired, remember to combine labor and rest. That Wudang Mountain Boxing Technique, you guys can also practice it in your spare time.”

Xu Weixiong didn’t have the good sense to say, “Don’t stand around talking without a pain in your back.”

Xu Fengyen carefully rolled his eyes towards Lu Chengyan and Wang Chudong, and the Wutong Courtyard maids whose tables were located in that direction couldn’t help but snicker.

Xu Weixiong was about to continue his lecture, Xu Fengyen hurriedly got up and said, “I’ll go over to Mr. Song’s side to take a look.”

Looking at the King of Northern Liang who ran away with two tiger kui, the atmosphere of Wutong Courtyard was invariably much more relaxed.

Xu Fengyen’s treatment on Song Dongming’s side and the coldness suffered by Wutong courtyard is of course a heaven and a earth, nowadays, the officials who serve as subordinates of the deputy strategy envoys are mostly young scholars who excel in Beiliang in terms of merit and learning, each with their own strengths, but compared to the younger generation of Jianghu who worship and envy Xu Fengyen’s status as a grandmaster, these scholars have a better understanding of Beiliang’s current situation, and they have sincere respect for Xu Fengyen who is the master of 300,000 iron horsemen. These readers were more in awe of Xu Fengyen, the lord of the 300,000 iron horsemen, after learning more about the current situation in Northern Liang. So when Xu Fengyen and Song Dongming, who was busy, were drinking tea, those young people were concerned about the young feudal lord’s every move. Song Dongming hands Xu Fenian hand-cooked and personally poured tea cups, not in a hurry to drink the tea, just to dispel the spring cold, softly said: ”All the scholars who went to Liang have arrived, and the families of those who died in the war have also arrived. There are some words and voices in this, surely less, I hope that Your Highness will not take it to heart.”

Xu Fengnian nodded.

Some of the rumors, just like when many people heard that he had gone to Hulukou, they felt that he was trying to show off his bravery, it was the same tone, which Xu Fengyen really didn’t want to pay any attention to.

Some are bitter and crying voice, these, Xu Fengyen is not dare to listen to.

After chatting about some Beiliang political affairs, Song Dongming got up and walked out of the house with Xu Fenian, this middle-aged man who was once cultivated by Yuan Benxi as a reserve minister hesitated and said, “Previously, it was me who wanted to be a strategy envoy so that I could better show my hand, and after spending time with Li Gongde, I think that I would like to see him continue to serve as a strategy envoy, I’ll be in Liangzhou, and Sir Li will be in Lingshou and won’t miss out on anything. ”

Xu Fengnian nodded his head and said, “Since Mr. Song said so, then there is no problem.”

Song Dongming stopped and smiled, “I still have a ton of business to take care of, so I won’t see you off.”

Xu Fenian laughed, “Rightfully so.”

Song Dongming said to Xu Fengnian’s back, “Previously, I only knew that Northern Liang was a place for martial artists to use soldiers, but now Song Dongming and many readers have discovered that Northern Liang is equally a place for literati to ‘put pen to paper’. I want to say thank you to His Majesty on behalf of these people.”

Xu Fengnian turned his head and smiled happily.

Song Dongming suddenly blinked, forcing a smile, and said, “Your Highness, my Song family has a few late women, all of them virtuous in nature as well, all of them wrote to me, saying that even if they stole, they would still let me send back to them a few of Your Highness’s seals and word posters, and other small objects. The boldest one, since childhood, aspired to walk the rivers and lakes and do that warrior woman, she said that even if she sends her a piece of the king’s clothes, that would be the best. If there is nothing sent back, she is going to cut ties with me, her uncle.”

Xu Fengnian touched his forehead in some embarrassment.

Song Dongming laughed brightly and put down, “I don’t think it’s a problem with the clothes, but if the king writes four or five characters casually and sends me a couple of posters, it’ll be fine.”

The night before this Qingming, Xu Fengyen sat alone on top of the mountain, watched the city lights at the foot of the mountain gradually rise and fade out, and drank up a pot of green ant wine.