red cliff top

At noon, there was a drizzle over Ningcheng.White mist filled the boundless fields, and the cool autumn raindrops sprinkled on King Jin's body, completely washing away all the humiliation and depression of the past three months.The water vapor was mixed with the salty smell of dust and blood, which penetrated into the nostrils one by one, making one's mind shocked.

The sound of fighting gradually faded away, the battle was over, and the army of one hundred thousand Shuntian kings who were once invincible had already dispersed and disappeared without a trace.There are rebel corpses everywhere, some were beheaded to death by their opponents, some were trampled to death by their companions in the chaos, some accidentally blocked the way, and were angrily chopped down by their own generals who were eager to escape, and died innocently.

There was a mess at the foot of Ningcheng. Apart from camps and flags, what the rebels left behind was a mountain of military supplies.Ning Cheng can finally have a full meal with peace of mind. In the lives of these soldiers and common people, there may never be a meal that makes people so happy.

King Jin's subordinates began to clean up the battlefield, and another team was assigned to count food, grass and property.When Shensi was driving by, he saw a scrawny and childish soldier quickly took out a piece of raw meat from the box, and then the cat stuffed it into his mouth in the corner and started to chew.Chewing and chewing, he seemed to have noticed something, and when he looked up to meet the pensive and curious eyes, his back stiffened in fright, and the back of his head hit the wooden post, making a muffled "boom".

Xiao Bing was knocked dizzy and didn't care about the pain. He just got up and knelt on the ground begging for mercy. Unfortunately, his cheeks were stuffed with hard jerky, and he couldn't spit out or swallow. Without making a sound, I could only spit out some saliva and minced meat while humming "Mmmmmmmm".It is a felony to embezzle and hide private property. If Shangfeng finds out, he will lose his head. How can he not be afraid.

Shen Si tilted his neck and looked at it for a while, then suddenly gave a "puchi" joy, raised his hand and threw something at his feet, and then urged the horse to run away without looking back.It wasn't until Shen Si ran far away that Xiao Bing looked down tremblingly, and it turned out that what Shen Si threw to him was a sheepskin water bag.At this moment, he was choking unbearably, he looked around and saw that no one was paying attention, so he quickly grabbed it and "gudong gudong" gulped it several times in a row.

After he swallowed all the jerky, he smacked his mouth a few times belatedly. He was surprised that something was wrong, so he picked up the water bag and smelled it, sniffed his nose, and took another big gulp. This time, he finally tasted the taste I couldn't help but sprayed all over the floor with a "poof": "Ahem, cough, shit, it's wine!"

After shaking around for a few times, he found that there was still a little water left in the water bag. He was not willing to throw it away, but lifted up the robe and hid it secretly in his arms. The folds of the clothes were patted flat, and then happily ran to join the little brothers.

At the same time, the four gates of Ningcheng Mansion were opened and the suspension bridge was flattened. King Jin led Wei You and a group of relatives to wait by the moat early. The banner with the word "Shen" has almost become a god worshiped by many people.

From a distance, Shen Si glanced at Wei You who was standing behind the people with his head bowed, a bright and flawless smile like a child suddenly appeared on his face, he turned over and dismounted, and threw the horn bow and saber at the soldiers behind him indiscriminately. He ran up to Wei You in three or two steps, his eyes focused and hot: "Bo Ling, I came late, you have suffered!"

Wei You embraced Shen Si, hugged him tightly with his long and powerful arms, and in a blink of an eye grabbed his shoulders and pushed him two feet away, looking up and down with critical and caring eyes: "How? Are you injured?"

Shen Si glanced at his blood-soaked clothes, and grinned triumphantly: "It's all other people's blood. I'm afraid I can't count a few of them in the entire Zhou Dynasty."

"Good boy, I haven't seen you in a year, and your tone and stature have grown a lot!" Wei You raised his hand and gestured back and forth on the tops of himself and Shen Si, like a loving brother who was bickering and joking with his younger brother. After losing the sophistication that didn't match his age, an unobtrusive and sincere smile finally appeared on his usual calm face.

Since Shen Si and Wei You are classmates who reunited after a long absence, it is inevitable that they always have to talk about their old relationship. King Jin didn't want to disturb him with words, so he just waited patiently aside and began to explore Shen Si calmly.This young man is not very strong, but he is well-proportioned and strong, with a pair of arms spread out, slender and stretched, and his shoulders are broad and powerful. It is strange that he can shoot such unstoppable good archery skills.

Wei You has always been cautious and considerate. Seeing that Shen Si was only focused on talking to himself and ignored King Jin, he hurriedly greeted him, "Nian Qing, let's talk later, first come and see King Jin Qiansui."

At this point in meditation, I noticed that there was another tall man standing beside the two of them. I saw that this man had sword eyebrows and phoenix eyes, a proud nose bridge, and a face shape that was [-]% similar to Wei You's, but it was a little less gentle and more gentle than Wei You. Kind of heroic.Rumor has it that King Wei Lu of Jin has a unique appearance and extraordinary bearing, reminiscent of his father, the Emperor Taizu, and he really deserves his reputation.

After sizing up, Shen Si cupped his hands neatly: "The last general, Shen Si, has met King Jin."

Seeing that Shen Si refused to say a word, and his words were extremely perfunctory, King Jin couldn't help but sigh in his heart: This black boy seems to look down on me very much!Haha, it's interesting...

Seeing that Shen Si was about to bow down on one knee, he immediately raised his cloak and helped him up, and said with a smile in his eyes, half-truthfully: "General Shen, you don't have to be so formal, you have saved my life, and you are the same It's not wrong to call Bo Ling generally "Ben Wang Biao".

There is a big difference in age and status between the two, and King Jin is an elder, so even though Shen Si is free and easy by nature, he definitely does not dare to overstep, but he does not know how to reply to King Jin, so in the end he just smiles vaguely and does not answer.

Wei You was as careful as a hair, on the way back to the city, he whispered into Shen Si's ear and said, "Xiao Wu, my uncle treats you very differently."

Shen Si raised his eyebrows nonchalantly: "Oh? What does he think of me have anything to do with me?"

Wei You was taken aback for a moment, took a long look at Shen Si, turned his head away but smiled and said nothing.

That night, the King of Jin set up a celebration wine for Shen Si in the hall of the government office where the wet wooden boards were removed. Excluding those who were on duty, the rest of the generals, big and small, all accompanied the table.Shen Si grew up in the military camp since he was a child, and he has a rough temper and is not good at socializing. King Jin took the initiative to provoke the topic several times, but he was abruptly dismissed by three or two words.

King Jin ordered someone to fetch the top-quality flower carvings left over from the day before yesterday, and poured a cup for Shen Si with his own hands: "What kind of reward does General Shen want? But it doesn't matter. As long as I have the ability, I will definitely not refuse."

Shen Si was not polite, took the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, the rich aroma flowed back and forth between the teeth and cheeks in an instant, making people feel ecstatic.He squinted his eyes intoxicatedly and nodded, then stretched out the empty cup to King Jin again: "Thinking about a martial artist, I only hope that I can use my own skills to gallop across the battlefield and make great achievements, and I am famous for my success in this world. These are things that no one else can give. But At the end, I would like to ask the prince to reward the three thousand soldiers I brought, thanks to their bravery and fearlessness, this battle can be won quickly and a great success."

"That's natural," the Jin Dynasty waved his hands left and right, "If the order is passed down, all the soldiers of the Shen family will be rewarded! There will be rewards!" Seeing that Shen Si is also a person who knows how to drink wine, he is inexplicably gratified, and he lifts the jug to help Meditate After another drink, "I don't know what strange trick General Shen used to lead 3000 troops to easily escape the enemy's numerous checkpoints?"

When it comes to leading troops to fight, there are more and more contemplative words: "Soldiers are like water. When water travels, they avoid heights and go down. The shape of soldiers avoids the real and strikes the weak. Checkpoints are set up everywhere, but the Wuhou River in the northwest is the only one ignored. In autumn, the water is dry and the water is shallow, and the surrounding grass is overgrown, which is just right for wading up. We removed the heavy armor in advance and moved lightly, and the horses also unloaded. Go to the bell cage, take the chews, sneak all the way in the night, and then successfully go around behind the enemy's central army and launch a surprise attack."

King Jin was convinced: "You are courageous and resourceful at a young age, and you will definitely be a famous general in my Dazhou in the future. Not to mention, today's battle alone is enough to be praised."

Meditating, but he didn't take it seriously: "There is a saying in the art of war: the encirclement must be closed. When encircling the enemy, it is necessary to leave a gap, deliberately make the people in the city see hope, and when it is difficult for them to choose between defending or fleeing, they just take advantage of the gap. On the contrary, enclosing the city like an iron barrel is really a bad policy. Seeing that there is no hope of escape, the people in the city will only choose to fight to the death. So this time I can get away with it because the rebels have a bad general. He has nothing to be proud of."

King Jin raised his eyes and laughed loudly.This little general Shen... is a bit too arrogant...

After drinking for three rounds, the atmosphere gradually became active. Everyone let go of their restraint and stood up to toast Shen Si to thank him.

The red-faced man Wei Chisheng next to Wei You came to Shen Si with a wine glass: "General Shen, Yu Chisheng respects you. I will never forget the kindness of saving your life. If General Shen is sent by him in the future, he will definitely be willing to do so."

Shen Si hurriedly bowed in return: "Brother Yuchi is serious."

Behind King Jin, the man in white with a small mustache also walked over with square steps: "I, Gu Zhuozi, is a guest in Prince Jin's mansion. I was lucky to be rescued by General Shen today. I feel so grateful. Let's have a glass of wine and express your feelings." .”

Contemplating that no one would refuse, he raised his head and drank the wine in the glass proudly, his eyes accidentally glanced at the bone flute worn by Gu Zhuozi's waist, and asked in surprise: "Brother Gu is a scholar, can he also play the Qiang flute?"

Gu Zhuozi took a peek at King Jin's expression, pondered what the Lord was thinking, and suggested: "I didn't expect General Shen to have researched this thing, and since that's the case, why don't Gu just show his shame and play a song for everyone? How about a song?" Congratulate me for surviving the catastrophe, and then congratulate General Shen for winning the flag!"

After a while, the high-pitched and sad Qiang flute sounded faintly, and the King of Jin invited him: "With the music, how can there be no dance to accompany it. Today, General Shen cut the enemy general off his horse with a single sword, and shocked everyone. , I wonder if the little general would like to dance his sword next to help everyone enjoy the wine?"

No one expected that Shen Si snorted and refuted King Jin's face: "Shen Si's sword is not an arty sword for entertainment, but a bloodthirsty sword for fighting on the battlefield."

While speaking, he yanked the long sword sharply, and swung it straight at the King of Jin. The King of Jin only felt a cloud of bloody aura that pierced his bones invisibly hit him, and his heart tightened in horror. The position of Cunxu came to a steady stop, but King Jin felt that his head and neck had been cut off by a sharp blade, and his head was in a different place, so that his whole body could not move, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses.

The audience was in an uproar after this move, several guards immediately stepped forward to protect King Jin with their bodies, and several others jumped up to take Shen Si down for questioning, and several sharp swords pointed at his chest and throat at the same time.

Wei You also shouted eagerly: "Nianqing, don't be rude!" Then he turned his head and explained to the King of Jin, "Don't blame uncle, Nianqing has a childish character, and he drank too much wine. He definitely didn't mean to offend... ..."

"Hahaha, it's okay, it's okay." Jin Wang waved his hand to repel the crowd, but he didn't seem to care at all. He laughed and asked Shensi, "This sword is really amazing, what's the mystery?"

Shensi made a beautiful sword flower with one hand, and the long sword was inserted back into the sheath with a "shua": "This is just a nameless sword forged by mountain craftsmen, and there is nothing extraordinary about it. In fact, there is no need for any black iron Fine steel, even swordsmanship is imaginary, good or bad is all about the swordsman. Our Shen family's kung fu is all acquired in actual combat, we don't pay attention to moves, but how to kill with one blow."

The King of Jin picked up the sword and took a closer look. Sure enough, the sword body was thick, the scabbard was simple, and the hilt was not decorated with any pearls, jades or gemstones. It looked very inconspicuous, even a little shabby.

Meditation seems to be able to see through his heart: "Why are pearls, jade and gems so rare? For a sword, the best decoration is the soul of the dead under the sword. It is said that there was a sword named Tai'a in ancient times, which gathered the invisible and intangible sword energy in the world. When used by a human, the sword is ordinary, but if a warrior wields it, the sword will be majestic and invincible, this is the true meaning of the sword."

Upon hearing this, King Jin re-examined the sword, then looked at Shensi with complicated eyes, then nodded slightly, smiling meaningfully.

As the night grew darker, most of the people in the hall were drunk, some snuggled together and took a nap, some lay down directly on the ground, snoring and raving one after another.

These days, Wei You had to worry about the safety of the city and beware of King Jin's calculations. He was exhausted physically and mentally. At this moment, he was already overwhelmed with alcohol, and finally couldn't hold on, so he directly leaned on the table.Shen Si took off his cloak and carefully covered his shoulders, and another person poured himself a drink with a pot.

Seeing that the jug in Shen Si's hand was empty, King Jin pushed the one in front of him: "General Shen is indeed a good-natured person, he can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk."

Shen Si smiled generously: "To be happy in life, you must have fun. You know that I came here in violation of the imperial decree and military regulations. If I go there tomorrow, the military law will be like a mountain, and I will lose my life. If you don't enjoy yourself now, won't you be happy later?" regret?"

Thinking of the little emperor's decree to get rid of himself, King Jin pondered for a moment, then sighed softly: "I have heard that Old General Shen is very strict in governing the army. You must have suffered a lot..."

Shen Si drank all of King Jin's jug of wine, raised the empty jug and shook it, and even swallowed the last drop, then wiped his lips with the back of his hand contentedly: "Fortunately, wars are also fought." The man was saved, the wine was drunk, regardless of whether he will live or die tomorrow, he finally returned home happily."

King Jin frowned unknowingly: "Since we know we can't escape military punishment, why did you come here?"

Shen Si casually raised his eyebrows: "Why do you want to come? If I don't come, Ningcheng will be destroyed. Not only will you be killed if you are a thousand years old, but even the soldiers and people in Ningcheng will be doomed." He looked at Wei You, who was not far away, smiled wistfully, "Oh, one life is worth tens of millions of lives, so it's finally worth it."

The light rain rustled all night, and when the dawn was approaching, he got up in deep thought and straightened his clothes. He glanced at Wei You who was still in a coma, helped him gather the cloak on his shoulders, turned around and walked out of the lobby .He entrusted his soldiers to the lieutenant general, ordered him to lead the team to rest for a day, and then went on the road alone without looking back.

King Jin stood by the window with his hands behind his back, looking at the lonely figure passing away in the rain, feeling a sense of loss and sadness for no reason.

He paced back and forth twice, made up his mind, and ordered sharply: "Gu Zhuozi, pass on the order and leave this afternoon." Seeing that the mustache in white was standing there without moving, he added plainly, "We Going back to Jinyuan, but... you have to 'pass through' Yizhou Prefecture."

After a while, he said to himself with a smile on his lips: "General Shen Wei, Dragon and Tiger? Alright, I'm going to meet that stern old General Shen..."