long friend

In the 37th year of Tongning, at the beginning of the new year, the flames of war that ignited from Yunmen Pass quickly ignited the prairie fire.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Yuyang fell.

On February 21, Zhuojun fell, and the Nanliang army retreated to Fanyang.

On the third day of March, the Shangsi Festival, almost the entire territory of Youzhou was ravaged.

"Has your Highness not replied yet?" Fang Zhi walked into the tent of the Chinese army, his face covered with dust and dirt, he touched it casually, grabbed a kettle on the table and took a few sips.

Su Yan sat in the middle. In the warm north, he took off his heavy armor, exposing half of his body, and let the military doctor bandage him: "He has a clue, but lacks evidence. The king of Chu had a conflict with His Majesty, and His Majesty Getting angry with Ah Chen, I don't even want to see him now, let alone... hiss—"

He cried out the pain, but the military doctor turned a deaf ear to him, and put his dislocated shoulder bone back with a "crack" like an animal.Su Yan was as immobile as a mountain, gritting his teeth and holding back the second half of the sentence: "——listen to his explanation of a mess."

Fang Zhi showed a look of embarrassment, and said blankly: "Hearing what the commander said, your highness already knows who is the moth in the court, but he has no chance to face the saint, let alone act rashly?"

"Well," Su Yan put on half of his sleeves again, and ignored the military doctor, not even saying a word of gratitude, "The court has been messed up by His Majesty's suspicion all these years, and no one dares to say who is loyal. Geng Geng, if it's me, I'm desperate and sell blood, and it's not for His Majesty... If the temple is like this, how can the people be so embarrassing?"

His few simple words fully explained the most urgent part of Nanliang's current internal and external troubles: how can we win the battle if we don't have the same heart.

And if these words spread to the Tai Chi Hall, Su Yan, the head coach, must be the first to be held accountable.It has been almost three months, and Liang Jun has been retreating steadily despite his tenacious resistance. The battle report he wrote back is dry, and there are no more than two reasons: there are not enough troops, and the foreign army has no fighting spirit. flee.

Fan Yang's garrison was less than [-]. Su Yan used the Tiger Talisman to mobilize Yanzhou's troops, but reinforcements had to wait.Now that the Turks have conquered the entire territory of Youzhou, their morale is high, and they must avoid direct conflict.

"Let's not talk too far, let's think about the battle of Zhuojun." Fang Zhi persuaded earnestly, "The Youzhou army did not retreat in such a bloody battle before, and the group of Bingzhou army ran faster than rabbits... Marshal, What else do you think? Your Majesty is asking you to take a group of well-clothed young masters to fight against wild wolves!"

Comparing the old, weak, sick and disabled in Bingzhou to "young masters", Su Yan, who is serious and well-dressed, thought it was funny for him, so he twitched the corner of his lips without any trace: "It's okay, I'll go to His Highness Zhao Wang to discuss it. Bar."

Knowing that he refused to listen to him, he grinned his teeth angrily, flicked his sleeves, and went out of the Chinese army tent to complain to Yan Nandu.

Xiao Qiyu on the battlefield is really more handsome than Su Yan imagined, and perhaps his ordinary performance against a group of mud fleeing in a hurry can be called heroic.It's just that His Royal Highness Zhao Wang was probably born with bad luck, and the battlefield was dangerous. He was injured twice in three days. He was a man in his prime, and now his face looks like a weak willow and a young cabbage.

Su Yan opened the military tent, and saw Xiaobaicai lying on the couch, with the arrow wound on the side of his leg hanging aside.Su Yan originally wanted the military doctor to torment him, but Xiao Qiyu had the foresight to bring a doctor's entourage, so Su Yan couldn't succeed.

He circled around Xiao Qiyu's tent, and then greeted him in a dignified manner: "Master Zhao, the military situation is urgent these days, and I have no time to care about Your Highness, please forgive me."

Xiao Qiyu waved his hands weakly, showing a wry smile, but he didn't want to talk to him at all: "General, I didn't know those words until I went to the battlefield... Not everything that the emperor said is false."

Su Yan sat down in front of his couch, and the attendant next to him handed him a cup of tea with discerning eyesight. He took a sip, and it turned out to be the top-quality Biluochun.The general of Fuguo, who couldn't even drink hot water on weekdays, smacked his lips without courtesy, and for a while hated these pampered relatives of the emperor in a very complicated way.

Seeing the subtle change in his expression, Xiao Qiyu continued: "My father told me back then that when I came to the north, I wanted to make military achievements, but I didn't know that it was so difficult to make military achievements."

"Why do you need military merit?" Su Yan's impetuous thoughts were diluted by the cup of Biluochun, and he chatted with Xiao Qiyu calmly, "I don't have a few good skins on my body, what's so good about this kind of suffering."

Xiao Qiyu sat up, and his face became much more relaxed: "This is the end, I'm not afraid you will laugh at me—Ayan, I have longed for that position since I was a child. I know everything about politics, scriptures, and people's livelihood. The emperor refused to give me a chance. Don't you think it's ridiculous that he avoids me, and Xiao Qichen wholeheartedly cultivates the so-called son-in-law?"

Su Yan showed no expression, holding a teacup, as if in a daze.

Xiao Qiyu suddenly became dull, and he talked to Su Yan about his difficulties with a little bit of consolation, but the other party was indifferent, obviously not interested.He waved his hand: "Anyway, it's not been a day or two since I wanted to seize the throne, and it's nothing to talk to you. General, thank you all the way."

He politely issued the eviction order, Su Yan didn't want to stay any longer, so he stood up and exchanged greetings before leaving.

Walking to the door, Su Yan seemed to suddenly remember his business here, turned his head and said to Xiao Qiyu in a nonchalant tone: "The Yanzhou Army will come for reinforcements soon, and I hope His Highness will write a memorial letter at that time. Those deserters in the general Report the current situation to His Majesty, otherwise, if things go on like this, His Majesty will not be able to earn anything, let alone military merits."

His threat made Xiao Qiyu startled, and just as he was about to attack, Su Yan had already practiced oiling the soles of his feet.

Only three days later, the Yanzhou Army really got reinforcements in place, but Fanyang City was surrounded from both sides, and the Yanzhou Army could not join the Xiaoqiwei.When the news came in, Xiao Qiyu was the first to jump up.

"Then what are we waiting for? Respond internally and externally, rush out of Fanyang City now, double-team!"

As soon as he said this, the faces of several generals became very good-looking, and Yan Nandu, who was unusually forgiving, sneered shamelessly.Su Yan rubbed the tip of his nose helplessly, and motioned Xiao Qiyu to look at the sand table:

"My lord, we are in the city. The Yanzhou army should be about a hundred miles southeast of the city, while the Turks are in the northeast. If you leave the city rashly, you will not be able to form a double-team on both sides. On the contrary, it is very likely that the Turks will block your way back. , completely cut off the connection between the army and Fanyang City, so we have no choice but to retreat to the next city—even if I am sure to regain the lost ground in the next few months, everyone in Jinling...will you listen to my explanation?"

Xiao Qiyu suddenly lost his word, studied the sand table for a while, and said: "So we have to wait for the Yanzhou army to come?"

Fang Zhi nodded: "This is just a medium strategy. The best strategy is for us to fight the Turkic army directly, and then the Yanzhou army will follow up with support. It won't take long to march quickly. It depends on whether they have enough physical strength."

"Well, that's the reason." Su Yan was about to say a few more words to Fang Zhi, when his eyes fell on the place marked as the Turkic camp on the sand table, he suddenly stopped, "Hmm...? Is there a river here?"

Shen Chengjun understood his intentions in a flash, and walked around from one side of the sand table to the other. The small red flag in his hand flew out and landed on the side of the Turkic camp without any mistakes: "Commander, you said here?"

The sand table is reduced according to the terrain of the cloud, and all the rivers and mountains are exactly the same as the actual ones.Su Yan frowned, and then showed a strange smile: "This is... Cangshui, General Shen, I have a plan, I don't know if it works—can we divert the Cangshui to the north?"

Shen Chengjun: "We have to wait a few more days... The ice on the river has not melted. But if I were Huyantu, I would definitely attack the city before the ice melted."

Su Yan: "How many troops are there in Fanyang City?"

Fang Zhi then said: "There are less than [-] enemy troops, and the enemy army is over [-]. Commander, the last general suggests not to forcefully break through."

Su Yan took a deep breath, tried his best to suppress his resentment, and said in a relaxed manner, "Send two scouts to spy on the Turkic siege intentions, notify the Yanzhou Army commander, and pay close attention to our army's movements. If there is a tendency to be surrounded, immediately support."

Fang Zhi took the order, turned and left.

After watching the excitement for a long while, Yan Nandu finally showed a sad expression: "You really don't want reinforcements?"

"I have mobilized all the troops that can be mobilized, but there are a few warlords who don't seem to cooperate, so there are only two ways at the moment." Su Yan took out the half tiger talisman from his bosom, and threw it on the sand table casually as if he didn't take it seriously. "First, His Majesty suddenly felt conscience-stricken and gave me the Tiger Talisman, and then mobilized all the defenders on the front line of the Yellow River to fight with all his strength; second, whoever is skilled in martial arts, sneaked into the deep palace and helped me steal the Tiger Talisman."

Everyone's eager eyes full of anticipation fell on Yan Nandu, and the innocent man who was slapped with a big hat said angrily: "Look at what I do!"

This group of people is quite good at having fun.Xiao Qiyu, who didn't understand why he could still make a joke when he was about to die, followed Su Yan with worried eyes, feeling that he was too calm.

Of course he didn't know that if Su Yan was in a panic, the group of so-called "elites" that had been improvised would collapse faster than ever.

The plan to divert Cangshui to the north has been shelved for now, but Su Yan did not give up.He received orders from Jinling one after another to transfer troops. Shi Yu's signature was so strong that he released the most well-equipped Yanzhou army north of the Yellow River, and ordered the Yan army to move south from the northeast border.

Of course Su Yan knew how much Shi Yu and Xiao Qichen had paid for this flimsy dispatch order.

On March [-]th, it had been more than half a month since Liang Jun was trapped in Fanyang. When he was about to run out of ammunition and food, Su Yan made a decision: since both the Yan Army and the Yanzhou Army had assembled, the victory and defeat depended on it.

When the sharp whistle sounded, the new spring grass outside Fanyang City was once again trampled by iron hooves.A thousand light cavalry were the vanguard, and Su Yan personally led the army without saying hello. He rushed directly to the Turkic camp. What greeted him was the bow and arrow troops that quickly assembled the army. Ten thousand arrows were fired at once, and the opponent's defense was as stable as Mount Tai. .

Xiao Qiyu, who was forcibly left on the tower by Su Yan, was so anxious that he was about to smoke: "Is he going to attack by force? He must be sick!"

Fang Zhi, who was ordered to ensure the safety of King Zhao, bowed his head and said, "My lord might as well take another look, look farther away, you can have a panoramic view of Fanyang City's east hundred miles from here..."

Xiao Qiyu choked up for a moment, because Fang Zhi had just finished speaking, and suddenly an army rushed out from several earthy mountains in the south.They looked well-equipped, as if they had been waiting for a long time to work, and couldn't wait to fight the Turks to the death.

This is the last fortress of Youzhou, Xiao Qiyu clenched his fists tightly.

When the two armies meet, Su Yan stands out. He has a black horse and silver armor, revealing a piece of red clothes. There is no cloak behind him. Instead, a longbow straightly props up his spine, making him as sharp as a drawn sword. fear.

"As the chief general, why do you have to kill the enemy yourself..." Xiao Qiyu murmured.

"The commander-in-chief thinks that the backbone cannot be huddled in the tent of the Chinese army. Only the commander-in-chief can strategize, and they have to charge at the forefront." Fang Zhishun replied, but the "commander" he said at the moment was referring to Su Zhi who was trapped in Jinling. He said, "Little Hou Ye has learned ten percent, he is also such a person, he once said..."

"As the chief general, he must bear the spirit of the whole army. How can he shrink back like a coward? If he is afraid of being injured when he goes to the battlefield, it is because he is not good at learning and is not worthy to be the support of others!"

"Daliang's imperial court is like a coward now. Could it be that our soldiers are also greedy for life and afraid of death?"

"Wen dies to remonstrate, Wu fights to the death, and the souls of thousands of mountains and rivers return to their hometowns—for those of us, it is not a great blessing."

Xiao Qiyu seemed to be a little moved, he suddenly realized that his thoughts of trying to win over Su Yan or use Su Yan to threaten Xiao Qichen were really dirty.He also vaguely felt that such a person should stick to himself until the end. No matter how he interferes, Su Yan probably won't pay attention.

He talks about death all the time, isn't he really afraid...

Dust was flying all over the sky, Yan Nandu stepped on the horse's back and turned over to avoid two iron arrows, and slashed horizontally with a big knife, blood mist splashed in front of his eyes.He turned his head and reined in the reins, the ball of red clothes was almost submerged in his vision.

"Mingyu!" Yan Nandu's voice changed, and he cut down a Turkic army who rushed up again, "Are you okay?!"

"Alive! Cover me close to the luggage!" Su Yan replied to him from a distance, the big black horse raised its front hooves, turned around in a circle, kicked up the dirt more than a foot high, his hands seemed to be raised, and then It was the sound of bows and arrows breaking through the air.

Yan Nandu felt relieved and cooperated with him to kill the enemy.

In the tent of the Chinese army, Shen Chengjun was in charge of dispatching, Zhang Li and Yan Nandu respectively led an archer and a cavalry to cover Su Yan, so they stayed in Fanyang City to provide support at any time.The Yanzhou army has already begun to tentatively merge with the Xiao cavalry guards. The Yanzhou army in the distance received an order and joined the melee here.

The fighting was so intense that it was frightening to watch.Fang Zhi's hand was always on the hilt of the sword, and his vest was covered with cold sweat. His eyes kept following the red shadow, for fear that Su Yan might make a mistake.

He led the army straight to attack the supply troops of the Turkic army, and the cover in front of him changed many batches.

"Get out of the way!" Su Yan turned his longbow and hit the waist of a young soldier in front of him with quick eyes.

He turned his head, and at the place where he was just now, a scimitar struck, with a full moon-like arc, and if he couldn't dodge it in time, he would be chopped off in the middle.He involuntarily followed Su Yan again, as if he had no fear at all: "Be careful, general!"

Su Yan blocked the other scimitar with a longbow, let go of the rein with his left hand, and quickly pulled out the saber that was pinned to his waist but had never been unsheathed, and sent it straight forward, stabbing the Turkic cavalry in front of him. to wear.The man was so close to him that the scimitar even grazed Su Yan's left leg when he fell, and he felt a burning pain.

Blood stains covered half of his face and armor, and mixed with the loess, it was almost impossible to see the original color.Su Yan's unrecognizable appearance was not so handsome that the girls in Jinling City secretly admired, but he didn't care, he just gritted his teeth, not even caring about the injury on his leg, flicked the rein, and galloped away.

The feather arrows were sprayed with kerosene, and Zhang Li's small group of archers was hiding behind the Chinese army, ready to go.

The Turkic logistics troops not far away have sensed the danger and began to retreat lumberingly. It won't be long before their elite troops will understand Su Yan's intentions, and the time left for him is really limited...

The last feather arrow was pressed on the string, sparks splashed, and he aimed at the armor of a Turkic soldier.

Before he let go, Su Yan didn't even have time to see if he had shot, when suddenly there was a cold behind him, and a strong wind howled.He quickly retreated, the longbow became cumbersome at this moment, and the scimitar was almost under his eyes!

The man rushed towards Su Yan like crazy, yelling in a language he didn't understand, but Su Yan felt that it was not a good thing.He felt the flames getting bigger and bigger behind him, closed his eyes, and felt that he might have to take a knife——

The sound of metal piercing the light armor, followed by the flesh being sliced ​​open, accompanied by a cry of pain.

A figure suddenly fell from the horse's back, Su Yan hurriedly helped him up, and raised his head again, the Turkic soldier had already fallen into the yellow sand.Su Yan hurriedly pressed the man's wound, and patted his face: "Yannan, Yannan?!"

Yan Nandu tightly grasped Su Yan's arm, opened his eyes wide, as if he wanted to say something, but finally collapsed as completely powerless.

When I first met him, Yan Nandu said with a very contemptuous and arrogant look: "Even if you are a general, I can't help you block the knife in this life."

When Liang Jun noticed the change here, he rushed up to cover Su Yan's retreat.He firmly fixed Yan Nandu on the back of Jingfan's horse, and urged the horse back to the city by himself.

The flames filled the sky, he didn't know how much he had paid for this battle, he could only hear the increasingly deafening shouts of killing approaching.

"The Yanzhou army is here...?" Su Yan thought, looking down, he saw bloody hands again, his chapped lips moved, and wanted to call Yan Nandu's name to keep him awake, but he suddenly became dumb, unable to speak a single word. Unable to speak.

There was some moisture in the corner of his eyes slowly falling down his cheeks, Su Yan stretched out his hand to wipe it, it turned out that it was the blood dripping from the wound on his forehead.

He couldn't cry anymore.

The author has something to say: Yannan: I think I can still save...