Plan to cut off the nine states

Xu Chu felt that he had only fainted for a short while. When he opened his eyes again, everything around him had changed. It was not a snow-covered road, but an ordinary bed. He knew that he had entered the military camp again.

"Mr. Xu, are you awake?" A middle-aged man came over and asked, smiling.

"Are you... a doctor?"

"I am one of the doctors accompanying the army. Mr. Xu's illness was severe. Fortunately, I took the medicine in time. If it had been a little later... humph."

"Thank you. Whose military camp is this?"

"Prince Ning's military camp."

Xu Chu sat up suddenly, feeling like the world was spinning. He took a while to adjust before saying, "Where is Prince Ning? I want to see him immediately."

"Don't worry, Mr. Xu, you haven't fully recovered yet. Besides, although this is Prince Ning's military camp, Prince Ning himself is not in the camp."

Xu Chu was greatly disappointed. He slowly lay down and asked, "Mr. Bao and I are strangers to each other. How could you recognize me?"

Mr. Bao was slightly startled, "I...they asked me to come to treat Mr. Xu, so I came, but I didn't actually recognize Mr. Xu."

"Oh, who is the commander-in-chief of the camp?"

"General Muneimei Mune."

This name was quite special. Xu Chu immediately remembered that this man was a river worker who followed Ningbaoguan halfway. When he was guarding the eastern capital, he was still a guard. Now he is a general leading troops.

But Xu Chu only remembered his name and vague appearance, and had no idea about Zong Mingyi. "Please inform me that I want to see General Zong."

"General Zong is not in the camp either."

"Um?"

"General Zong is in a hurry to lead his troops, leaving a few of us to take care of Mr. Xu."

"How long will I be unconscious?"

"It's been on and off for two days."

Xu Chu was startled and struggled to get up, "My cloak..."

"It's a really nice thing to see here. It must be worth a lot of money, right?"

Bao Langzhong took the cloak and gently stroked the fox fur on it with one hand. Xu Chu snatched it away and said apologetically: "I'm still a little cold."

"Yes, these days have been the coldest since the beginning of winter. Mr. Xu, please lie down for a while and don't rush out."

Xu Chu put on his cloak and insisted on going out to take a look.

It was even colder outside the tent, the biting cold air suddenly penetrated into his nostrils, and the sunlight shining on the snow was particularly dazzling. Xu Chu seemed to have been given a large gulp of strong alcohol, and he almost fell down again.

Mr. Bao, who had followed him out, hurriedly supported him and said, "Sickness comes like a mountain falling, and sickness goes away like threads spinning. Mr. Xu has just recovered from a serious illness and is very weak. He should get more rest."

"Fortunately, I can bear it." Xu Chu smiled, pushed the doctor away, and stood firm on his own.

This is a small camp with only three tents. The one he lives in is in the middle. A few horses are standing in the snow eating fodder, and bursts of white steam are sprayed from their nostrils from time to time. The soldiers are hiding in the tents to keep warm, and no one is seen. .

"I've been unconscious for two days?" Xu Chu asked.

"Yes, you woke up a few times and said some nonsense, but Mr. Xu doesn't even remember it?"

Xu Chu shook his head.

"Mr. Xu survived the catastrophe and will be blessed later. I'll have someone cook some hot soup."

"Thank you. I owe Mr. Bao my life."

"You must not say that. It is my duty to treat illnesses and injuries. If Mr. Xu wants to thank you, thank General Zong. He issued a death order. If I can't wake up Mr. Xu, I will be buried with him."

Bao Langzhong smiled and walked to the tent next to him.

Xu Chu didn't want to go back to the tent and walked slowly to the road. He looked at the trampled ground and thought about the current situation. Zong Mingyi was relatively friendly, but after he entered Dongdu and met Guo Shifeng, everything was unpredictable. .

Xu Chu sighed lightly, he didn't even have the strength to escape now.

A group of troops came from the direction of Dongdu, and Xu Chu stood guard.

"God has eyes, brother Chu is fine." Guo Shifeng jumped off the horse, ran forward in a few steps, and looked Xu Chu up and down several times.

Xu Chu was actually weak, but he tried his best to straighten his body and said with a smile: "I met a good doctor and escaped. Where is Brother Guo going?"

"I heard from General Zong that he met Brother Chu on the road. I immediately left the city and came to visit. I thought it would be a step later... Haha, Brother Chu will recover from his illness. Why are you standing outside in such a cold day?"

"Waiting for Brother Guo."

"Brother Chu, do you know I'm coming?"

"My heart is moved, and I know that someone from the past will visit me."

"Haha, after this illness, did Brother Chu gain supernatural powers?"

"Hard to say."

Guo Shifeng laughed and looked back at the soldiers he had brought. Just as he was hesitating, a man came from the group, holding a bowl of hot soup in his hand. He did not recognize Guo Shifeng, so he nodded lightly and said to Xu Chu: "Mr. Xu, please come into the tent." , drink a bowl of soup to warm your body, and your illness will be better."

Guo Shifeng stepped forward to help him, "Brother Chu, come in quickly. This must be the doctor. Thank you for your rejuvenation skills and saving my brother."

"It should, it should." Bao Langzhong said vaguely.

After entering the tent and sitting down, Xu Chu slowly drank the soup. Guo Shifeng said: "The Eastern Capital is in chaos. I've been looking for Brother Chu to no avail. I didn't expect you to leave the city - Brother Chu, why didn't you look for me and instead ran away?"

Xu Chu put down the soup bowl and said with a smile: "I left the city just to look for Brother Guo. Brother Guo said at that time that he would go back to see Prince Ning soon. I thought you were on the way."

"It's my fault that my casual words caused Brother Chu to suffer so much."

"So Brother Guo has always been in the city?"

"Alas, it's a long story. King Liang has done me a disservice. He said he would contain the Sheng family, but he broke his promise and led his troops to Jizhou. In fact, it was a good plan to seize Jizhou, but he should at least inform me. Not long after the Liang army entered Jizhou, the Sheng family led their troops south and now have reached the outskirts of Shitou City, which made King Ning quite embarrassed, and I was even more... Alas."

"King Ning was angry with Brother Guo?"

"King Ning thought I had made great contributions, and this matter was all the idea of ​​King Liang, so he had no complaints about me, but I felt bad, so I volunteered to help King Ning take over Dongdu. . "

"Congratulations, Brother Guo, you have accomplished your mission. Without spending a single soldier, you have won the most famous city in the world for King Ning."

Guo Shifeng smiled and said, "It can be said that the merits and demerits are offset. I have to thank General Pan Kai for understanding the situation and the general situation. He can understand everything at a glance and save me a lot of trouble."

"All counselors like people like General Pan."

"Haha, I am not bragging. If I hadn't tried it myself, who would know what kind of person General Pan is? I am afraid that everyone would think that he would not betray King Liang, right?"

"In this matter, I admire Brother Guo and feel ashamed of myself." Xu Chu picked up the bowl and continued to drink the soup.

Guo Shifeng smiled and said to Doctor Bao who was standing aside, "Do you recognize me?"

The doctor smiled and said, "I didn't know you at first, but after listening to the conversation between the two of you, I know that you are Military Advisor Guo, a big shot of King Ning."

"Well, since you know who I am, why do you stand here and eavesdrop on our conversation? You can only treat diseases, but you can't read the expressions?"

Doctor Bao blushed and retreated embarrassedly.

Xu Chu said, "He saved my life. Brother Guo, you don't have to treat him like this."

"He is just a doctor. It is his duty to treat illnesses. If he is praised to the sky after curing one person, how can it be tolerated?"

"Yes. My friend Chang Yanzhi, who I lost contact with, is he still in the city?"

"Yes, don't worry, brother Chu. Brother Chu has recovered from his illness now. What are your plans for the future?"

"No plans, just sit here and wait."

"Who are you waiting for?"

"First, wait for Brother Guo."

"I'm here."

"Then wait for King Ning."

Guo Shifeng's expression was a little stiff. "Wait for King Ning?"

"King Ning will arrive soon. I'll wait for him here."

"What will you say when you see King Ning?"

Hearing this, Xu Chu knew that he was not wrong. King Ning was also going to the Eastern Capital and was on his way, so he smiled and said, "I am going there on the order of King Liang. To help defend Xiangyang, after meeting King Ning, of course I still need to borrow troops. "

"According to King Liang's order? Brother Chu is going to serve King Liang as the master?"

Xu Chu shook his head, "The guest obeys the master's order, and I must do what I promised."

"Haha, I don't believe King Liang in keeping promises, but I believe brother Chu. When the three of us planned to assassinate the king, the plan was leaked, King Liang and I fled, only brother Chu stayed and didn't leave, and we were assassinated. From then on, I knew that brother Chu was a man of his word."

Xu Chu held the soup bowl to keep warm, "But I haven't seen King Ning for a while, and I have some grudges with him. I wrote a letter to borrow troops before, but King Ning declined. I don't know what the result of this meeting will be. Can Brother Guo say a few good words for me?"

"Brother Chu wants to hear the truth?"

"Of course."

"If I ask, King Ning will not send troops to Xiangyang."

Xu Chu smiled : "I understand. I was confused for a moment. Brother Guo and I are old friends. If you speak for me, King Ning will definitely be suspicious. But Brother Guo is always by King Ning's side, so he can always give me some advice."

"King Ning appreciates brother Chu very much. He often says that you are as smart as me, but your strategy is better than mine. If you are willing to serve him as your master, King Ning will listen to you."

"King Ning is too kind. If I had great strategy, how could I have fallen to this point? But no matter what, I will not surrender to King Ning."

"Why? Brother Chu thinks King Ning does not have the luck to be an emperor?"

"No, although King Ning is in a difficult situation now, once he moves away, he will be able to occupy half of the country and look down on the heroes in the Central Plains. He is the most emperor-like. I don't serve him as my master because I have an agreement with King Liang and the heroes in Xiangyang, and I can't do two things at the same time."

"What about after the Xiangyang incident?"

"Retreat to the mountains Lin, open the door to welcome guests, focus on the 'general strategy', don't ask about the origin. "

Guo Shifeng laughed and said: "Brother Chu has arranged a good retreat for himself. Whoever wins the world in the end will thank you. But brother Chu, have you ever thought that not everyone will be polite to you. There will always be strong people among the heroes. What should brother Chu do? "

"If the body is not in the heart, it is just a celibate position."

"Can brother Chu really do it?"

"I have done it many times."

"Haha, brother Chu's ambition...is getting more and more different from ours. Brother Chu wants to borrow troops from King Ning. In fact, there is a ready-made reason. With brother Chu's wisdom, he should not have thought of it. "

"Unexpected things happen one after another, and I have just recovered from illness. I am confused and need Brother Guo's advice. "

"If King Ning does not seize the Eastern Capital, borrowing troops is hopeless. Once King Ning enters the Eastern Capital, borrowing troops is not borrowing troops, but sharing King Ning's worries. "

Xu Chu smiled and said, "I really need Brother Guo's reminder. Yes, whether Xiangyang can be defended is related to the safety of the Eastern Capital, even though it is a battle for Jingzhou. If He Rongren captures Xiangyang, he will definitely turn his troops to Luozhou."

"Prince Ning is coming soon. I have to go to greet him. I won't chat with Brother Chu any more. Goodbye."

Xu Chu put down the soup bowl, personally sent it to the roadside, and watched the guest leave.

Guo Shifeng led his men to gallop for more than a mile, reined in his horse, turned around, looked at Xu Chu, finally waved, and then galloped away.

Xu Chu finally breathed a sigh of relief. For him, this was the real "escape".