the enlightener says

"Yes."

"Old Zhang, what should I do with this man." The long knife in Hu Tian's hand was still dripping with blood, and he raised the blade and pointed at the trembling figure in the corner.

Zhang Jiuxin looked in the direction of the tip of the knife. In the corner, Mr. Zhu, who had been curled up as much as possible and did not dare to make a sound, held his head, wishing to dig a hole into the soil.

"Let's kill them together, and take his head with us." Zhang Jiuxin raised his chin and said to the hundred generals with a smile.

"Yes."

Mr. Zhu finally yelled, his voice was shrill like a fat pig waiting to be slaughtered, but the blade quickly pierced his chest, and the cold touch brought out hot blood, which continued to flow out from the wound, his legs struggled As I watched, my vision gradually faded away...

Chapter 497 Another Play

The news of General Lin's death was quickly spread by word of mouth, and when those old men of Lin Xin who were stubbornly resisting saw the head hanging on the flagpole with their own eyes, it was as if they were hit by a bullet on a sunny day. Like a thunderbolt, the rout is like a tide.

And the news about Wang Xuanwei outside Pinggu was the last straw that broke the camel's back, making it impossible for them to control the troops below. The situation has been completely reversed, and the balance of victory has completely tilted to Guo Kai's side.

This is a kind of selfish endowment born in the world. It exists in Lin Xin and it also exists in Hu Tian. However, it can only be manifested more simply and intuitively in the simplest and most ordinary soldiers in the army.

For them, it doesn't matter whether they surrender or break through, as long as they can survive, they can give it a try.After all, the original intention of many people when they joined the army was not to defend their families and the country, nor to make a career in the sky, but just to eat military rations and give their families a few taels more subsidies.

Hu Tian had already flattered Zhang Jiuxin in front of everyone, and even expressed his willingness to hand over his military power and let General Zhang take over all the troops. At that time, Zhang Jiuxin had more than [-] people under his command.

In fact, Zhang Jiuxin now has the strength that Lin Xin dreamed of before. If he really intends to rebel, at least Pingguli can't stop him.

But he is a smart man and knows that the power in his hands is hot, so he resolutely kills Mr. Zhu, which is equivalent to cutting off the only possibility of surrendering to Tang, so as to win the trust of Guo Kai and Wang Nan.

Of course, it took Qin Ke a lot of time to figure out the twists and turns. In this regard, he believed that there was still a deep gap between him and Gao Yishui, which he could not cross in a short time.

This is a gap in experience.

Gao Yishui, who has traveled around the world for many years, has already been in that big quagmire like a fish in water, and has learned various skills of insight into people's hearts. In his mind, he can easily combine interests and personnel to think about each other, which is naturally more comprehensive and well-founded.

"The last general is incompetent. Let the adult suffer such a crisis. The pain in his heart is like a bone piercing. I wish I could replace the adult with my body."

Qin Ke looked up and saw that several generals were kneeling in front of Guo Kai and weeping bitterly, as if they had gone through all kinds of hardships and dangers and finally saw the blue sky again in the eternal night.

It's just that Qin Ke didn't feel any emotion in his heart. Instead, he secretly turned his face away, for fear that he would accidentally burst out laughing.

He knew the truth, and in his opinion, the cause and effect of all this was clearly just a farce to make people laugh, and the so-called "incompetence" or "heart-wrenching pain" were even more nonsense.

If Zhang Jiuxin and Hu Tian really had such an idea from the beginning, they wouldn’t need Qin Ke to lobby and threaten them alone, they would be able to raise the banner of rebelling against Lin Xin—after all, it’s Wang Xuanwei’s "" The title of "Seeking Saints" and the fabricated "Ten Thousand Black Riders" played the most critical role.

But being seen by the soldiers who didn't know the truth, they really believed that these generals had no rebellious heart from the beginning.The reason why they follow Lin Xin to wave the flag and shout is because they want to expose Lin Xin's ambitions and find out the Tang army who has been urging the Xingzhou army to surrender.

Naturally, these little soldiers who had never read any books and knew nothing about tactics felt a sense of admiration in their hearts, and felt ashamed when they thought of the true feelings of rebellion before.

"Don't make such a great gift..." Guo Kai supported Zhang Jiuxin to stand up slowly. There were also a few old tears on his face. Several other generals cried together and stood up with trembling legs.

"General Zhang, you don't have to blame yourself." After several efforts, Guo Kai finally stopped the tears from his cloudy old eyes, and a gentle smile appeared on his slightly tired face, while patting General Zhang. shoulders.

"General Zhang is unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness. This incident was all due to the rebellious deliberations, but the generals are magnanimous in their hearts. Naturally, I know it all too well. When I return to Xingzhou, I will definitely make a statement for the generals in person, so that the giants can be promoted and reused." General!"

Zhang Jiuxin's body froze for a moment, then he shook his head resolutely and said, "My lord! You are the last general of Zhesha... It is my duty to be loyal to the Mo family and to do my duty for my lord. This time I have been restrained by Lin Xin , almost killed my lord, how can I ask my lord to ask for a reward in person? My lord, please take back this sentence, otherwise you will end up..."

He knelt down hard again, and said with a serious expression: "The last general will just kneel here, and I won't get up!"

Guo Kai's face immediately changed into a look of pain: "What is General Zhang talking about? You are a meritorious minister. If you and the generals are not wise and brave, how can you successfully quell this rebellion? The above table I must do this, not only for you, but also to let the world know that my Mo family values ​​loyalty."

"My lord." Zhang Jiuxin showed a moved expression, "The general should accept your wishes, but after this incident, the general realized that he is humble and not good at leading troops. He should have resigned from this general a long time ago and let the army People with ambition and ability are promoted."

When several generals heard Zhang Jiuxin's words, they also knelt down and said, "My lord, I will also resign as general."

"What are you doing!" Guo Kai widened his eyes in shock, and said, "You generals are the pillars of my Mohist family. How can you just resign as a general? If I agree to a few generals, won't the world say that I am Are you old and dim-witted, and don't know how to make good use of talents?"

Zhang Jiuxin threw himself to the ground, shook his head vigorously and shouted: "My lord! This is our own decision, it has nothing to do with your lord, please let me make it happen!"

"My lord, please do it!" several generals said in unison.

In fact, whether it was Guo Kai, Wang Nan standing behind him, or Zhang Jiuxin, Hu Tian and others kneeling on the ground, everyone was like a bright mirror in their hearts.

From Guo Kai's point of view, it is naturally impossible to continue to allow these people who once lived with the "rebel" to occupy important positions in the army. The reason why he behaved like this is just a test for Zhang Jiuxin and others.

Of course, Zhang Jiuxin and others also knew this, so they desperately insisted on "resigning from the position of general and returning to civilians", and refused to relax.

They knew that if they showed even a little bit of nostalgia for the position of the Thousand Generals, it would make Guo Kai suspicious, and then re-evaluate their "regret" and "loyalty"...

After many trials, Guo Kai's expression finally relaxed, and he agreed to the request of several people to resign from the position of General of Thousands, but not now, but after returning to Xingzhou.

This battle is not over yet, the army still needs someone to command the troops.As for the matter in the above table, Guo Kai did not take it back, but changed it from "promotion" to "gift".

Several generals also supported each other and stood up, their backs stood up a little bit, and they believed that Guo Kai was really planning to let them live, and they were even very moved because Guo Kai insisted on giving them honors. His tears were also a little more sincere.

Although the title seems to have no actual position, it is something that can be passed down from generation to generation.If their descendants want to join the army in the future, they don’t have to start from the bottom of the ranks if they have a title. If they want to learn essays, the title can help them move more smoothly on the ranks...

Where can they find such a good thing?

Standing not far away, Qin Ke watched the dramatic performance in its entirety.

Before he knew it, Gao Yishui's lazy laughter seemed to sound in his ears, and he gently explained to him:

"For one thing, he appeased a few rebel generals so that when they break through next, they can follow him to charge into battle wholeheartedly."

"Secondly, after this battle is over, Guo Kai can justifiably kick them out of the army and cut off any worries."

"Thirdly, Guo Kai's action has stabilized the morale of the army and calmed down the hearts of the ordinary sergeants who were originally feeling guilty. Think about it, Guo Kai can tolerate even a few generals, so how can he deal with them, small pawns who obey orders?"

Of course, according to Gao Yishui's unrestrained temperament, he should still be eating, drinking and having fun in Jinzhou at this moment. Naturally, this voice cannot be "haunted" or the "thousand-mile sound transmission" that his cultivation has broken through to the saint level. Those few explanations, It was purely just what Qin Ke thought in his heart.

Thinking of this, Qin Ke inexplicably sighed that people's hearts are unpredictable, but after sighing, he was a little amused at how he behaved like that old slippery Gao Yishui now.

The sound of hurried footsteps interrupted his contemplation, and the cry of the sentinel was like the whine of a lone vulture in the wilderness.

"My lord! There is movement outside Pinggu! Fire! Big fire! The Tang army camp is on fire!"

Chapter 498 All the kings seek to survive, my heart is to die

The Tang army camp was indeed on fire.

When Qin Ke stood on the high slope and looked at the light and billowing smoke that almost illuminated half of the sky outside Pinggu, the originally gloomy blue-gray sky had been rendered fiery red, and there seemed to be countless escaped people in the clouds. The red wild horses with rein are running around with great momentum.

But Qin Ke is not interested in watching the scenery now, because from the continuously rising flames, he also clearly got a signal agreed in advance: Wang Xuanwei has already made a move.

As for why it happened so quickly, Qin Ke didn't know, maybe Wang Xuanwei had foreseen the most suitable time, or maybe it was because the situation changed and he couldn't wait any longer.

But no matter what, he knew very well that Wang Xuanwei's [-] cavalry could not really defeat the Tang army, and at this time, he had to give him the simplest and most direct response.

That is Guo Kai's more than 1 Mohist cavalry.

Because there are too many horses killed these days, many cavalry have no horses to ride, but when Guo Kai once again commanded this force from Xingzhou, Qin Ke could still feel the horses neighing and soldiers shouting. Bursts of majestic military might.

And Guo Kai didn't say a word of unnecessary nonsense, he just assigned the duties of several thousand generals in a short period of time, and reorganized the army formation. The spears are as sharp as blood, and the animal heads carved on the leather armor are hideous and terrifying.

"This battle! It is about the life and death of the kings! It is even more about the state affairs of my Mo family!"

Guo Kai's voice seemed particularly bleak in the night wind, but somehow it could arouse the blood in people's chests, making them surge up, like a huge tide coming from the sea, constantly knocking on everyone's hearts, they held each other The hand holding the weapon was getting harder, and the knuckles hidden under the glove turned slightly white.

Guo Kai took a deep breath, he had already put on his leather armor again, and as he swung the spear in his hand violently, he looked up to the sky and screamed, at this moment he no longer looked like an old and weak scribe .

Sitting on the horse at this time is a commander in chief who is about to go to the battlefield.

"Fight to the death!"

Everyone responded to him with all their strength, roaring: "Never retreat in a deadly battle! Never retreat in a deadly battle! Never retreat in a deadly battle!"

The army was majestic, and the horses rubbed their hooves restlessly amidst the shouts of the cavalry, and two lines of hot tears suddenly fell from Guo Kai's eyes.

Then, he turned his horse's head, and the tall war horse neighed, and he took the lead and rushed down the hillside.

That was the first and last time Qin Ke saw Guo Kai fighting. Although his back was not tall, he fought bravely with a spear in his hand before the Wanjun, with an expression of no hesitation.

Qin Ke sat on the horse and followed closely beside him, only to feel the rumble of the horse's hooves behind him like thunder, as if countless huge war drums were beating in the night...

……

"Is that so...Guo Kai...didn't rush out from the chaotic army?"

At dawn, Wang Xuanwei took a group of black-armored cavalry who had finished dressing up and camped at the foot of a mountain. The original 1 cavalry under his command had actually increased to more than [-] cavalry at this moment. Looking around, the horses' backs stretched Unceasingly, the smoke from the cooking fires formed a piece in the sky.

Qin Ke squinted his eyes slightly, looking at this mighty scene, compared with the moment when he highlighted Jinzhou City, it seemed like a world away.

He softly answered Wang Xuanwei's question, and said: "I saw him fall into it with my own eyes. I wanted to save him... but it was too late. For some reason, seeing him like that, I always felt a little crazy, feeling..."

"It feels like he is asking for death, right?" Wang Xuanwei looked at the content of the letter calmly, and finally sighed: "He considers himself a great loyal minister of the Mohist family, and has inherited Master Zhong's mantle, so naturally His own arrogance. Although he once impeached me, which caused me to lose the position of general, I always believed that he impeached me because of differences in political opinions, not personal grievances... how can a person like him bear it? What's wrong with the state army being defeated and trapped? How can I have the face to go to Jicheng to see Master Zhong and Juzi again?"

"He wanted to die a long time ago, but before that, he still had to be responsible for these 1 people, racking his brains to get them out of trouble... But now, he doesn't have to take on this responsibility anymore." Wang Xuan slightly slowed down. Slowly gathered the letter, in fact, it is not so much a letter, it is better to say it is a suicide note, which is mainly aimed at the disposal of those traitor generals, and some reports on various arrangements for Xingzhou's defense.

It's ridiculous that the two were considered political enemies at first, but Guo Kai gave his trust to Wang Xuanwei at the last moment of his life.

So, is that so...

Qin Ke lowered his head, thinking back to the hot tears in Guo Kai's eyes and his back in the battlefield before he left for the battle - it turned out that he had already decided his own ending, just like a tragic character on the stage. Doomed to die at some point in time.

Many people in this world are seeking to survive, but some people will wholeheartedly seek to die. Those who seek to survive may not be frank, and even unavoidably have many gossips. Those who seek to die are very decisive and pure.

His death on the battlefield was his final confession to those two people who were far away in Jicheng. He hoped to prove his loyalty by this, but this kind of loyalty required his life as the price.

But why did he do this?Isn't it good to be alive?Even if he survived, he would be ridiculed and scolded by everyone, and those two people would shake their heads in disappointment...

At least in Qin Ke's view, living is the most important thing.

When famine was spreading across the land like a disease, countless people struggled on that road, with their heavy heads propped up and their bony legs dragging, they kept walking forward, all for the sake of survive.

"Alive".

There are only twenty strokes, but for many people, it is already an extravagant hope and a dream.

At least Qin Ke thinks that he is a person who knows how to get by. He doesn't have such a big family and country feelings, and he doesn't have the thought of sacrificing his life for righteousness, but for Guo Kai, he still subconsciously has a kind of admiration and yearning.

"General, what are we going to do next?" Qin Ke touched the Bodhisattva Sword that had returned to his waist, and asked with a little melancholy: "When will this battle...will end?"

Wang Xuanwei stood in the wind, his robe fluttering, he looked into the distance, his cheeks were as firm as iron, "It won't be too long. The outcome...is not far ahead."

"It won't be too long." In the Tang army's camp, Xiang Chu heard Li Mo's report, and said the same in a similar tone.

After the battle outside the city of Jinzhou, Li Mo's expression became more depressed, and his eyes were much darker than when he first went to the battlefield. Now, he has finally become another loyal general under Xiang Chu's command, and he is no longer sent by Yang Taizhen. A "supervisor".

"General, I don't understand." Li Mo stared blankly at Xiang Chu, a little puzzled why his performance was so flat.

After the news of Pinggu, he also quickly guessed that there were no so-called "tens of thousands of black knights" under Wang Xuanwei's command at first, but now, whether there are or not is no longer important.

The remaining [-] Mohist cavalry under Guo Kai's command came to Wang Xuanwei's hands, and they were replaced with black cavalry equipment. Perhaps they were still inferior to Tang's Xuanjia heavy cavalry, but under Wang Xuanwei's command, any changes were possible.

And Xiang Chu's performance seemed to have seen through Wang Xuanwei's "trick" early on, and anticipated the current situation, but he watched coldly, or even...intentionally let go?

The light of dawn did not illuminate Xiang Chu's face immersed in the darkness of the military tent, so it also made him look blurry. After a few breaths, Xiang Chu said slowly: "Li Mo, Have you ever fished?"

Li Mei was taken aback for a moment, not understanding why he asked: "That happened when I was five years old. My father said that fishing can temper my temperament, but when I was older, I have been practicing calligraphy in the study, so I have never been to a fish pond. It's over..."

Xiang Chu sneered slightly, and said, "That means you've caught it. I've never liked you scholarly and Confucian families. One of the reasons is that you always like to overcomplicate simple things. In my opinion, fishing is nothing more than the two most important things.”

"Please advise, General." Li Mo was not angry either, but just cupped his hands and smiled softly.

Xiang Chu didn't think this was any advice, and said in a casual tone: "The first thing to do when fishing is to wait. If you can wait what others can't wait, you can naturally catch big fish that others can't catch... But in fact, before these important things, you must wait. , and more importantly, bait."

"In the fishpond, it's easy to catch a big fat fish, but Wang Xuanwei is not these wastes who eat all day long and only know how to eat with their mouths open."

Speaking of this, Xiang Chu showed a look of admiration. He has always been very interested in Wang Xuanwei.

As for what the people behind him think, what does it matter to him?In the Taishi Bureau, the lord has already gone, who in this world can make Xiang Chu willingly bow his head and proclaim himself a vassal?

"He is a fish swimming in a big river, alert and vigilant. Even when faced with the fat bait that is right in front of him, he may not blink his eyes. Therefore, trying to get him to take the bait...naturally cannot be done in an ordinary way."

Li Mei's heart trembled slightly, but suppressed the voice in his throat, and said softly: "General, are you using Guo Kai's cavalry as bait? So, the general has already guessed Wang Xuanwei's plan? If so, Why didn't the general arrange for people to ambush outside Pinggu to encircle and wipe out Wang Xuanwei?"

"If I do this, do you think Wang Xuanwei will come to Pinggu?" Xiang Chu sneered, "Since it's a fish swimming in a big river, it's impossible to bite the bait so easily."

"What the general meant was..."

"Guo Kai's subordinates are the guts I gave him." Xiang Chu's deep eyes flickered slightly, "Wang Xuanwei only has more than two thousand 'black knights' under his command. He would be crazy enough to think that relying on these [-] men would be able to reverse the situation in which Xingzhou was about to be breached. In this case, I simply gave him the [-] cavalry in Pinggu to give him enough courage..."

His voice was no longer as calm as before, but with some emotional fluctuations. The light in his eyes was like a flickering candle, bright and hot.

He has been looking forward to this day for five full years. In order to fight this Mohist "sage seeker" for real, in the past five years, he has studied military art and practiced martial arts, day in and day out. What kept appearing in the crowd was the mighty figure of Wang Xuanwei among the thousands of troops.

Now that you have eaten the bait, next, presumably you will not let me down, right?He was thinking silently in his heart, but subconsciously held the weapon at his waist with one hand, and he couldn't hold back his surging heart.

Beside him, Li Mo was silent and speechless.He is very clear that such a bold and unrestrained plan is not something that anyone can and dare to use.

If this news spread back to the Tang Kingdom, there would be an uproar immediately: the commander-in-chief appointed by the lord Li Qiuhuang and the noble concubine Yang Taizhen sent [-] cavalry directly to Wang Xuanwei to strengthen his power?

How is this different from handing a knife to an enemy?

Even, if it falls into the ears of those who are interested, this will immediately become the reason for their joint letter of impeachment. Under the aggressive aura of all the officials in the court, not only will Xiang Chu's position as commander-in-chief be lost, but he will also be punished with a serious crime.