the enlightener says

In the past, when Li Mei heard about Xiang Chu's plan, he was afraid that he would speak up and fight hard on the spot.But after the battle in Jinzhou, he felt guilty, and now he can only keep silent for the time being.

And in the bottom of his heart, some thoughts also flashed: Maybe, Xiang Chu can really beat Wang Xuanwei with his strategy?After all, extraordinary people need extraordinary methods. To defeat the Holy Seeker, you must use methods that the world dare not imagine, so as to have a chance...

He raised his head slightly, just facing Shang Xiang Chu's piercing eyes. In the darkness, flames seemed to be ignited in those eyes. From that flame, the collision of swords and soldiers, the crossbow The salvo is the neighing of war horses, the life and death of countless people.

A strong smell of blood rushed down his nose and rushed into his brain. He suddenly coughed and turned his head away, only to hear his heart beating violently.

He was a little puzzled.In Xiang Chu's heart, is it because of the Tang that he values ​​Wang Xuanwei so much, or... just wants to fight Wang Xuanwei?

Is this "General Conquering the South" who was conferred by Li Qiuhuang himself really loyal to the lord, the imperial concubine, and the Tang Kingdom?

He wasn't sure, but his intuition told him that there was a beast in Xiang Chu's heart, and that beast was constantly hitting the cage, trying to get rid of the invisible bondage around him...

Chapter 499 Qualifications

Tang country.

It was clearly broad daylight, but the Taishi Bureau, which was used for stargazing, was still dimly lit. A few rays of light came in from the thin cracks in the windows, gently caressing the motionless armillary sphere.

Li Si is familiar with this place, as if he is familiar with his own home, but when he sees this armillary sphere that is no longer turning, he always feels a sense of sadness. Where should we go?

But he quickly stabilized his mind, and continued to lurk in the darkness like a ray of ghosts, his voice was as cold as ice: "He is completely out of control."

"This is not too surprising." In front of the armillary sphere, a young, thin figure smiled slightly. His eyes kept looking up and down on the armillary sphere, and he didn't look at Li Si behind him for a moment.

But Li Si is familiar with this person, it is the Zhang Yanling he mentioned in the conversation with Xiang Chuye, and his age will definitely not be as young as he appears on the surface. As far as he knows, this person serves the Lord at least It has been 60 years.

"Xiang Chu himself is a rebellious person. When the Lord is present, he can still be suppressed. Now that the Lord is gone... This beast has no rein, so naturally it is no longer willing to be controlled."

Li Si looked deeply at his back: "In that case, you still let me go find him?"

"Although I expected it, if people don't see the coffin, it's always hard to cry, isn't it?" The young Zhang Yanling shook his head and squinted his eyes and said with a smile: "After the Lord left, many things have happened. Due to the change, the hearts of the royal family are not as stable as they were back then. Although I intend to bring everyone together again, but I am not the lord, nor do I have the ability to do that."

"Maybe it's because you didn't just want to pinch everyone together from the very beginning..." Li Si commented indifferently: "No one would be willing to submit to your hands."

Li Si's words have always been sharp as a knife, and he was not at all polite when facing Zhang Yanling. Naturally, Zhang Yanling's face froze slightly after hearing this sentence, and said with a wry smile: "There is a saying...you don't slap people in the face, Li Si , do you know that you often kick people in the face."

"That's not my problem." Li Sidao: "If you didn't have that thought, I wouldn't say that either."

Zhang Yanling sighed slightly: "That's right, indeed, I have this intention. I have served the Lord for many years, and I have always admired him. If there is a chance, I naturally hope to inherit his mantle and continue to pass on the royal family."

Looking at the huge armillary sphere, he couldn't help stretching out his hand to push the heavy mechanism, but no matter how hard he tried, the whole armillary sphere couldn't move a single bit.

"If you can't do it, you don't have that 'qualification'." Li Sidao.

"Yes." Zhang Yanling stroked the words on it, and read softly: "Agong... Labsu... Palagulu..."

He is very clear that he only learned how to read these words, not... understood the profound meaning of these words.

The difference of one word is like a moat.

"Shenqi..." Zhang Yanling's eyes showed longing, "I really want to see the scene with my own eyes again."

Li Si didn't answer, but quietly looked up at the "armillary sphere", and kept his mouth shut without saying a word.

Zhang Yanling knew that he must also have the same desire and curiosity in his heart.

Zhang Yanling still remembers the day when he was "inspired", the old man's broad and rough palm gently stroked the top of his head, every muscle in his body lost strength, and he couldn't help curling up, as if he had returned to his mother's belly , Re-wrapped by those warm body fluids.

He thought he would just fall asleep.

But I don't know when it started, everything went away from him.The old man, the hall, and the sky are all like disintegrated dust, dissipating in the warm but majestic sunlight.

Then, he "opened" his eyes again.

Darkness, endless darkness.

He saw countless huge black shadows sprouting quietly in a void, and every moment seemed calm and majestic.Suddenly, he was pulled back to the majestic high hill. Every time he blinked, the morning sun would rise from the end of the sea of ​​vaults, and he breathed again, as if experiencing four seasons, ebb and flow, without beginning and without end...

And when he stood in the void again, a huge black shadow exploded, ushering in a fateful demise. Not long after, the same place flickered with bits and pieces of light, as if the giant in a sea of ​​fireflies once again Wake up, revived.

It is a mighty force that cannot be stopped by human beings.

Unable to bear the infinite majesty, he knelt down on the ground.

At this time, he felt that his lungs seemed to be emptied. No matter how much he opened his mouth, he couldn't take a breath. His body floated gently into the air, but all the muscles in his body seemed to be squeezed by pairs of pairs. Invisible hands clenched and twisted.

He wanted to cry, but he couldn't make a sound; he wanted to cry, but found that the tears that flowed out surrounded him, turning into crystal drops, trembling; he wanted to ask for help, but there was no one beside him.

He didn't know if he had offended some great existence, and wanted to kneel down to repent, but he couldn't move.At this time, he saw a raging flame that seemed to be able to swallow everything burst out from the void in the distance. The dazzling golden light burned his eyeballs instantly, and the pain made him howl for a while, and he rolled from the sky. He fell to the ground and rolled vigorously, while the rain of fire from the sky still penetrated his chest, burning his whole body into a mass of ashes.

Then, he opened his eyes again, and the old man stood in front of him, smiling gently at him, and gently stroked the top of his head with one hand.

"You have seen it." The old man said: "You are all the chosen people of the gods. You walk in this world, the earth crawls under your feet, and the rivers give way in front of you. You are carrying out the mission of the gods. In the future, you will definitely return. To the side of the gods."

gods?

Those majestic black shadows, the sacred existence, still make him tremble from the bottom of his heart when he recalls them.

However, after this fear, another kind of doubt and desire for knowledge spontaneously emerged in his heart. He obviously didn't want to feel the pain at the beginning, but human nature forced him to go back and get away from those hot fires. The rain is closer, and the black shadows can be seen more clearly in the feeling of suffocation.

This is probably the desire of most people in the royal family.

It's a pity that not everyone in this world is lucky enough to be chosen by the gods. What frustrates them the most is that they are already standing in front of that gate, but the gate is always closed to them, just because they don't Earn that "qualification" to be invited in.

"By the way." Zhang Yanling looked at the armillary sphere for a while, then suddenly smiled and said, "You've seen that kid, right? How is he?"

Of course Li Si knew who "that child" Zhang Yanling was talking about was that night, at the place where he was standing now, the old man finally gave that gift, turned into dust with satisfaction, and disappeared from the world.

Along the way, he had secretly observed many times, but he still couldn't figure out why such an ordinary child was chosen?He is neither a devout believer nor a resolute and persevering executor, let alone any great talent...

"He's just a child." Li Si stood quietly, and said in an unhurried voice, "Even if you intend to bring him back, flattering him to inherit the position of the Lord will not help you."

"Of course I'm not stupid enough to think that a naive child can rule over those people." Zhang Yanling curled his lips, a little dissatisfied with Li Si's sarcasm, "But he is the chosen one after all, let him wander outside on his own Is it really suitable?"

"If he is really an enlightened person, even if we don't go to him, the enlightenment will eventually let him find us, won't it?" Li Sidao.

"That's right." There was a playful smile on the corner of Zhang Yanling's mouth, "Just like Zhuge Wolong back then... But I still feel a little regretful, did that person really die like this?"

"The reappearance of the god's revelation on that child at least proves that the god has a new choice." Li Si thought about the investigation he sent in Daoxiang Village, and said: "Back then, he was able to escape from that place where there was no sky and no land. Going, it's already a miracle."

"The villagers said that Zhuge Wolong had been in poor health in those years, and he had to swallow decoctions every day. This was probably the sequelae after returning from that place. Otherwise, with his cultivation level, he might not be able to enter the tomb of King Ye by himself. Or … At that time, his body was already on the verge of collapse, and he was just lingering on his last breath."

"Really." Zhang Yanling was slightly distracted, "But I always feel that he won't die so easily... Just like the Lord, didn't he last for so many years?"

"That's different." Li Si raised his eyebrows suddenly and insisted with displeasure.

"It's different." Zhang Yanling knew that Li Si's respect for the old man was like a son's respect for his father, so he could only shake his head and said, "However, in the eyes of many people... If the master hadn't issued the killing order back then , many people may stand on Zhuge Wolong's side, after all...he expressed the desire in our hearts."

There was no answer. In the darkness of the Taishi Bureau, Li Si's figure disappeared into a cloud of dust, and there was not even a single footprint on the ground, as if he had never appeared from the beginning to the end.

"These people who practice Xunfeng Art are all so elusive, and they don't move at all when they walk." Zhang Yanling shrugged his shoulders, and knew that Li Si probably didn't want to listen to him anymore—in any case, Li Si's The old man in his heart is always the person he respects the most, even... his father.

Zhang Yanling lightly stroked the lines on the armillary sphere, and the runes on it seemed to be shining slightly in the dark, but when one looked carefully, they found that they were silent there, still with the texture of pig iron, unremarkable.

In the main hall, his voice softened: "In this case... why don't you wait a little longer."

He made up his mind, so when he looked at the armillary sphere, his eyes became firmer.

"We can see if this child can really take on the responsibility he should bear."

Chapter 500 Surrounding

The horseshoes trampled on the mountain slowly and made a "da da" sound. The long team was winding on this mountain road full of gravel. Qin Ke turned his head and looked at the wildfire-like sky on the other side of the mountain. Knowing that the fire has not been completely extinguished, but the big stone in my heart is getting heavier.

Maybe it was a bad time, Wang Xuanwei had just gathered more than 1 Mohist cavalrymen, and uniformly replaced them with black cavalry equipment. Just encountered a setback.

"You mean, Tang Jun already expected that we would take a detour from Cangqingling to attack Diancang?" Qin Ke frowned, and turned to look at Abu who was driving alongside him.

"Diancang County is the third granary of the Tang army, and its grain and grass are second only to Liyang and Zhusha. It must be a lie to say that the Tang army is not prepared at all." In order not to let these unfounded news disturb the army, Abu deliberately He lowered his voice, "But the problem is, we trekked all the way from Cangqing Ridge. It can be said that we did not expect it. The Tang army responded in such an orderly manner that it lasted for half an hour. And it is so coincidental that a 2 The human Tang army came to the rescue in time..."

"Mr. once said that some things, once they are too coincidental, will inevitably hide a man-made layout behind them. And according to the report of the people below, they burned five grain depots, four of which only saw hay and no grain... who can tell Are there really grains in the remaining dozens of granaries? Maybe... Tang Jun moved them away long ago."

At the end of Abu's speech, his eyes have become meaningful.

"Can't hay be counted as food?" Qin Ke shook his head. These days, he followed Wang Xuanwei to run around, and the shortage of supplies made him understand how important sufficient hay is to the cavalry. There are not too many cavalry, but I heard that their Xuanjia heavy cavalry is very powerful. Although the heavy cavalry is inferior to the tiger and leopard cavalry, the overall strength is not inferior to the black cavalry..."

"No matter how much horses can eat, there is no reason to pile up so much hay."

Amid the sound of rocks loosening, Abu's horse slipped and nearly sprained its foot. Fortunately, Abu's horse control skills are good, and he forcibly reversed the horse's fall.

He cursed in a low voice, wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, knowing that he was so focused on talking to Qin Ke that he forgot that they were walking on this rugged mountain road at this time.

Cangqing Ridge's mountain road is narrow, and it is not difficult for infantry to walk up, but it is not easy for cavalry to march in it, so Abu feels that the Tang army should not be aware of their surprise attack this time.

"What's more, the horses riding heavily on Xuanjia eat not only hay, but also brown rice, millet, and beans. Without these fine ingredients, how can the horses carry heavy armor to go into battle? I'm afraid the horses will be tired before they start charging. fall down."

Qin Ke was a little confused when he heard that: "Then...why can't they store them separately? Maybe these are the only things stored in the remaining grain depots, maybe it's just bad luck."

"It's...not impossible." Abu nodded slightly, but still looked worried, "But I always feel that this is not easy."

"Well." Qin Ke replied, regretfully: "If you can pry that guy's mouth open, everything will be easy."

The "that guy" he said naturally refers to Wang Xuanwei who is at the front of the queue, wearing a black cloak fluttering in the wind.

It's just that during this journey, he has been sitting on the horse and kept silent, except for giving orders, he never said a single unnecessary word.

Of course, this is his style. Most of the time, only he knows about his plans. Not to mention outsiders like Qin Ke and Abu, even the generals directly under the Mohist family looked at each other before starting the war. Discredited, not knowing what to do next.

But even so, none of them would doubt Wang Xuanwei's ability, let alone lose their trust in him. If the former Guo Kai was replaced by Wang Xuanwei, then it is impossible for his cavalry to rebel.

"General Wang must know it well." Abu's thoughts were the same as Qin Ke's, but he just wanted to pry Wang Xuanwei's mouth open... He laughed out loud: "Maybe you can try it."

Qin Ke rolled his eyes and snorted, "If I dare, there's no need to talk to you here."

In the night, a crow croaked in the tree above their heads, which was disturbing. He turned his head, and the flames had been covered by the undulating hills, and it was gradually becoming difficult to see clearly.

He said worriedly: "Nothing will really happen."

Facts have proved that if a person is unlucky, drinking cold water will clog his teeth.Especially the mouth, which usually doesn't look very bright, is like the crow squawking in the mountains and forests, carrying a strong bad luck.

The goshawk hovered in the dark sky, and the fire light illuminated the way ahead, but it was always under one's feet, unable to illuminate the distance.

Soon, the scouts sent news that nearly [-] Tang troops were approaching in the direction of Rongxi County, more than a dozen miles to the south. This should be their best retreat route, but it was blocked at this moment. It is so dead that it cannot be passed through at all.

"Understood." Wang Xuanwei's eyes flickered slightly, he waved his hand lightly, then turned his horse's head, and led the team towards the west.

About an hour later, the scouts reported back again, and found nearly [-] Tang troops from the west. Although the night covered them with a black coat, they pushed forward steadily step by step. Constructed a terrifying forest in the dark.

Continuing to march in such a dark night, it is obvious that Tang Jun is not wandering aimlessly, the purpose of their trip is ready to come out.

Although there are only 2 people, facing such a Tang army that has already prepared and formed a phalanx, even if the black cavalry is enough to break through their formation, the casualties will be very heavy.

During the next three days of marching, Qin Ke and Abu, like those generals, gradually tightened their hearts.

Tang Jun, Tang Jun is everywhere.To the east is the Tang army, to the west is the Tang army, to the north is the Tang army, and to the south... is also the Tang army.

I don't know when it will start, these Tang troops seem to have agreed in the dark, step by step, spread silently, and with their cautious attitude, they are obviously well prepared for the battle.

All these show that Abu's guess is not wrong. The Tang army has indeed anticipated the movement of the Mohist cavalry. The reason why they kept silent before is because they need to ensure that they will not startle the snake.

The encirclement circle has been formed, and what awaits Qin Ke and the others now is a massive encirclement and suppression.

"Now there are more than 12 Tang troops on the surface. They have controlled all the main roads, and they are still advancing. There are [-] Shenwu Tianjun, and there are [-] who don't know where. The [-] Xuanjia heavy Riding has never appeared..."

Zhang Jiuxin's voice trembled. He had been listening to the scouts' reports for the past few days, and he clearly smelled the danger that the rain was coming.

Although the two armies have not really confronted each other yet, as long as he closes his eyes at night, he can see the scene of the two armies colliding, the sound of drums shaking the sky, and the overwhelming Tang army pouring down like a flood.

12 Tang troops!

But Zhang Jiuxin and the others knew very well that they only looked like black knights on the surface, but in fact compared with the real black knights, they were just a group of rotten fish and rotten shrimps.

Besides, even if there are more than 1 elite black knights of the Mo family, facing ten times more Tang Jun...it is no different from a praying mantis standing in front of the wheel.

He had only just left the encirclement of Pinggu, but fell into another even bigger trap so quickly. This kind of situation had already weighed him down. He kept his eyes open all night last night, tossing and turning, and never fell asleep.

"General, what should we do?" Zhang Jiuxin only had this life-saving straw left. Now, he can only pin all his hopes on that person who is as deep as a deep well.

But to his disappointment, Wang Xuanwei didn't say anything to him.

"There are about five days left, and we should have a head-on collision with Tang Jun." When camping at night, Abu made a hasty calculation on the map, and then said palely, "Is Tang Jun crazy? 12 Just to encircle and suppress a cavalry team of ten thousand like us?"

Qin Ke also had a headache when he heard it, but unexpectedly found that his heart was much calmer than his expression.

In fact, on the one hand, his attainments in the art of war are not as good as Abu's, so it is difficult to deduce and calculate the terrible layout behind it.

Speaking of which, since Jinzhou broke through, he has been experiencing a cycle of "the sky is falling! The ground is sinking! There is no life!" to "Oh, it was just a dream... oh, it's nothing special..." , the short-term peace after the crisis fell into crisis again, as if it had become a certain established trajectory.

He now feels that if he can return to Daoxiang Village alive in the future, he must grab the storyteller's job and tell those children who have runny noses all year round about all kinds of new things he encounters, and he will definitely earn money. To a lot of exclamation and admiration.

"Maybe we poked a hornet's nest." Qin Ke thought about the things he had messed around in the mountains in the past, felt the taste of honey still lingering in his mouth, and sighed with a smile: "We are tossing people around. The food team, it’s not that they don’t report, it’s just that the time has not come…”