Luoshui Dongliu

That night, the tent of the chief general in the Los Angeles garrison caught fire.Fortunately, after the fire was extinguished, no one was injured.Some of the utensils in the tent were burned, Zhao Shen usually did not display them, but it was not important, but the pipa left by Zhao Jing earlier was burned.Everyone saw Zhao Shen holding the charred piece in a daze, thinking that it was a pity that he lost his father's thoughts, and there was no one to persuade him for a while.After a while, it was Zhao Shen who suddenly said to himself: "If you stay here, no one will play it." Then he turned to Zhou Qian and said, "Go and find a place to bury it." This way of handling it was also a bit strange, and everyone nearby looked at it. He tried his best to be indifferent, and the reminiscence expression in a sense of loss was inexplicably touched by each other's hearts, and he was silent for a while, and no one said anything again.

And another incident during the night was the illness of the director Xie Rang.At that time, the soldiers had packed up the burned tents, and the crowd was about to disperse, but Xie Rang suddenly fainted and fell to the ground.He has been jaundiced and thin for many months, and recently he also has dull pain in the upper abdomen.Such a daily consumption, even after taking some medicinal materials, there is no improvement.He knew it was wrong in his heart, and he had the idea of ​​earning a day after he endured it, so no matter how others tried to persuade him to see a medical officer, it was just a prevarication.The weather was getting colder day by day, and his mood had been ups and downs in the past few days, and he couldn't bear this moment any longer.Thinking about it, he had been toiling in the army for decades, and it seemed that he had never rested in his whole life. Only this time he fell ill and never got up again.

The next day, the Xiyan army set up an altar in front of the formation facing the south of the city to honor the river god.

The great river flows through the Central Plains, and the ancestors have often worshiped the river god since ancient times, in order to pray that the flood would not flood their homes.It is said that Hebo drives a cloud chariot covered with lotus leaves, with two dragons as drivers and a Chilong as a horse, riding the wind to create waves; and Hebo's envoy, who is dressed in a black crown and gallops across the West Sea, will go where the horse tracks and the water will reach him. It is also the god in charge of rain.During the Qin and Han dynasties, cattle and calves were sacrificed in prisons to pray for good weather, and there was an old custom of sacrificing a living person.

The Xiyan army offered sacrifices to the river god, but the altar was set up in front of the west front instead of by the river, in order to deter the city and declare war.Everyone saw that the lieutenant generals of the Xiyan Army prostrated themselves on the ground in a serious manner, and a fortune teller in black robes sang the song of Dahe Haotang loudly, as if they saw the ugly toad guarding the palace, and felt sad on their backs.

A general asked Zhao Shen, "What do you think, the general?"

Zhao Shen said coldly: "Weird force, what are you doing with him?" Although he looked contemptuous, he had vaguely guessed that the Xiyan Army was not only planning to make this farce, but must have made some arrangements behind it.It's already the flood season, so I'm afraid it's just making a fuss about taking advantage of Luoshui.Thinking of this, he couldn't help worrying.

At this time, several people were brought on the altar, and the singing stopped abruptly.The people at the top of the city didn't know what the reason for this was, but they saw a soldier coming up with a straight knife.The few people were pressed and knelt down on the ground, and one of them came to the stage in a courteous official uniform, and recited the poem loudly.The guards on the top of the city, after hearing that sloppy prose, even if they didn't understand half of it, they all knew the intention to lure Luoshui to flood the city outside the city, and they couldn't help but feel shocked.Wang Ben led the great river to flood the beams and destroyed the state of Wei. Cao Cao decided to surround the Pi by the Yishui River and destroy Lu Bu. No matter how strong the city was and how strong the food was, or how stubborn and courageous it was, human power would never be able to match the power of nature. anti.

At this time, the command to stop drinking could be heard under the city, and blood spattered where the blade passed; under the bright sun, the sticky blood splashed from mid-air on the dusty ground, flashing for a moment.In fact, fighting on the battlefield, such a bloody scene is not common.However, at this moment, even though they were far away from the top of the city, the guards couldn't help squinting slightly, as if the blood was about to splash on their faces.

On the altar, there was only one criminal left under the knife of the executioner, Zhao Shen couldn't help stroking the longbow in the hands of the soldiers beside him.When the soldier saw Zhao Shen, he already guessed Zhao Shen's thoughts, held his bow and arrow in his hand and said: "The general rushed to send him down with an arrow before he turned around, and he should tell them who to threaten with this flood, they If he wants to kill someone to sacrifice to the gods, we will join in and let him do it."

Hearing this, Zhao Shen couldn't help smiling, pulled the bowstring for a while, and finally put down the longbow, saying: "Forget it, the range of this bow is not enough, and the wind is strong." Looking at the city for a moment, it was He said solemnly, "But what you said is true, so what if it is flooded with water. Whatever he wants, I will accompany him." The soldier didn't look sideways at him, and he didn't know if the general was talking to himself or to himself , I felt that Zhao Shen's slightly closed eyes under the sunlight were as straight as pitch-black obsidian.

Under the altar, Yu Chizhong approached Yu Chiyuan and whispered in Yu Chiyuan's ear: "Just now I saw that Zhao Shen on the city seemed to hold his bow, why did he put it down again in a blink of an eye?"

Yu Chiyuan glanced at him slightly and said, "What kind of scene is this, you still keep silent."

Seeing his elder brother looking at him coldly, Yuchizhong said with a sneer: "I have never been presumptuous, and others have never heard of it."

As he was talking, he didn't want Pei Yu to turn his head a few steps away and said calmly, "Second General has really good eyesight."

Yuchizhong choked slightly, but Yuchiyuan said: "The supervising army's hearing is not bad either."

Pei Yu acted as if he hadn't heard of it, and continued: "People say that He Bo is fierce, but Hou Yi shot his left eye with a magic arrow. But now, I don't know if Zhao Shen can stop the Luoshui soup with his longbow and horse. "

When night fell, Yuan Gui came looking for Zhao Shen and said, "There is no one in the general's camp temporarily, so go to my place to deal with it for a few days."

Zhao Shen didn't want anyone to find out that he was injured, so he said: "It's only a few days, no need."

Yuan Gui laughed and said, "It's fun for the general to stay at the top of the city for the past few days."

Zhao Shen didn't understand, and asked, "What's the fun?"

Yuangui said: "Today is the full moon in mid-autumn. I heard from my ancestors that in the past, in the palace, when it was this season, all the people had fun on the eve of the moon, and the literati had to look at the moon disk sourly. The general raised his head these few days. Seeing the moonlight is not fun."

His ancestors belonged to the previous clan, and the elders in the family had seen the old custom of offering sacrifices to the moon.Zhao Shen knew that Yuan Gui was joking, but he was not in the mood for a joke at this time, he just said: "The moon phases don't always have waxing and waning every month."

August is the mid-month of autumn, and the [-]th is the middle of the month. The mid-autumn day is in the middle of the three autumns, and it coincides with the time when the rice is ripe.And after mid-autumn, the winter cold is coming.Zhao Shen thought silently that it was the end of spring when Luo City was first besieged, but now that the summer and summer have passed early, the predicament has not been solved at all, but it is getting more and more pressing; no matter how bright the night sky is, it is also a joyful scene of sadness, and worries are reborn in his heart.Raising his eyes to the sky, he said: "You look at the clouds like a curtain, where can you see the shadow of the moon?"

Yuan Gui looked up and said with a smile, "It's true. The moon is covered by clouds in mid-autumn, and the snow in Shangyuan lights up the lanterns. The shadow of the moon cannot be seen today, and it will still not be seen during the Shangyuan Festival next year."

Zhao Shendao: "That's what it meant. I always thought it was a complaint about bad luck."

Yuan Gui said: "Undefeated. In the eyes of farmers, this is a good thing that the rain will be abundant and the crops will be nourished."

Zhao Shen couldn't help frowning when he heard the words "rain is abundant".Yuan Gui seemed to be in a good mood today, but every sentence made him anxious.He knew why he was depressed, he didn't want to take the anger out on others, he paused for a while and said: "It's nothing here, I'll ride around in the army." Hearing Yuan Gui's answer "Willing to go with you", he walked away.

Everyone in the cavalry army was on standby overnight last night, and they are resting this day.When Zhao Shen entered the camp, he saw a dozen or so people gathered in one place, he couldn't help but asked, "Why don't you rest?"

Seeing that it was him who came, and no one restrained them, everyone saluted and said: "The general is here."

Zhao Shen glanced over, but saw a young soldier at the back of the crowd lowered his head and wiped his eyes, so he nodded and asked, "What's wrong?"

An older soldier said: "This baby is young. Speaking of last year and today, his grandpa and elder brother are all here, so it's a bit difficult." Seeing Zhao Shen's face slightly solemn, he smiled again, "His father and brother came from Si a month ago. The water gate was removed, and we settled down that morning, so there is no need to worry, and it is worth the piss."

The young man in the audience laughed, his face flushed with shame, he wiped his eyes, and said: "What horse urine, I was just blindsided by the wind."

The older soldier saw that he was annoyed, so he stopped joking and just smiled at Zhao Shen and said, "It's only fifteen."

Zhao Shen just kept silent, now seeing the baby's stubborn defense, he couldn't help laughing, and whispered to the soldiers beside him: "Please forgive him." The young man behind him suddenly timidly chased after him and asked, "General, when will my grandpa and I... see each other again?"

That clear and clear voice was thrown into Pinghu like a stone, causing ripples in circles.He thought that he really missed his father and brother, or thought that the general would be able to make arrangements for everything, but he actually asked this question at this time.But who didn't know that the more than 1000 cavalry troops had scars that could not be uncovered. This young soldier was outspoken, but everyone took a breath.

Looking at the expressions around him, the young soldier realized that he had said something rashly and was stunned for a moment.Zhao Shen stopped walking and turned his head slightly, but his body did not move for a while.He wanted to answer with a smile, "There must be such a day", but his shoulders and neck were stiff, and he couldn't turn his body around.He didn't know whose heart could be relieved by a light promise at this time, and how he could fulfill such a promise.With the situation at this point, he no longer knows what his future will be if he sticks to Los Angeles. Maybe he can still survive the desperate situation, or there will be no turning around.

However, if he just succumbed to the foreign enemy, what would be the fate of the subordinates standing around at this time?

He had never seen the scene of Zhao Jing killing the Jiangjun, but he had heard the rumors of that bloody night countless times in the past twenty years.Even though everyone said that Zhao Jing broke his promise first that night, and then killed others, no one in the world would be so crazy again; but since he was young, he understood: If you abandon the sword on the battlefield, you can only hope for the strong. The enemy's benevolence is not only cowardly, but also stupid.

And even if we don't mention this level, if he bows his knees and surrenders in the future, all his followers will bow down, and they can only obey orders for the sake of safety; Zhao's cavalry who have been proud for decades are no more than others The cannon fodder of the knife head - the soldier asked when he could see his father and brother again - by then, the scene where they met might be a bloody battlefield.

For this reason alone, he would never take that step; but when the day comes, can he feel at ease to say that he is right for his brothers who have stood here with him?

He was silent for a long time, finally unable to speak.Everyone was also emotional, and it was Yuan Gui who said, "General..."

Before he finished talking, Zhao Shen turned his head and said to the crowd: "He has just joined the army, you should take care of him." Seeing that his expression seemed normal, they all replied: "Yes."

Yuan Gui followed behind Zhao Shen, said: "This little Anu is young, but there is no other meaning in what he said."

Zhao Shen said: "I can save this."

Yuan Gui wanted to say more, but he opened his mouth for a long while, but he didn't know what to say.He suddenly felt that Zhao Shen's disposition is now so restrained and gloomy, he couldn't remember the last time when he rode the horse freely without restraint.

Xie Rang was watched by the medical officers in turn during the day, took a few doses of decoctions, and eating at night was much better than the day before.When Li Shoude came, he was leaning on the couch with his eyes closed to rest his mind, and he seemed to be in good spirits.

Li Shoude sat next to him and said, "My master is finally willing to take a rest." Then he said, "I brought some peony skins."

Xie Rang said with a smile: "To be honest, apart from its bitter taste and refreshment, I really don't think it has any other uses."

Li Shoude also smiled and said, "I've only learned how to control this these years, and I can't do anything else."

The two laughed, and Li Shoude collected his expression and said, "You were so frightened that everyone couldn't tell. You didn't see General Zhao's expression on the spot. From now on, the master will not dare to work so hard."

Xie Rang lowered his eyes slightly, and said: "If you say take a break, and wait until one day you will sleep forever, then you don't have to work anymore."

Li Shoude couldn't help being shocked, and said, "Why did the master come to say that!"

Xie Rang said lightly: "Why do you and I talk about empty words, I am almost exhausted now, and I understand it in my heart."

He had always believed in Lao Zhuang and never took life as joy or death as sorrow, but Li Shoude couldn't take it calmly when he heard the words, and couldn't help saying: "Master, don't talk about it."

Xie Rang looked at him for a while, then sighed softly: "In this army, if you can reach the age of Old General Cheng, you will be considered a lucky man. Life and death, as long as you see through it, it's nothing." He said, "Think When I go to that life to be free and pure, you still have to suffer and fight for your life, if you say that you don't give up, that's all."

Li Shoude suddenly raised his voice and said angrily: "What is the master talking about at this time?" Xie Rang stared at him, and stopped talking.There was silence in the tent for a while, and finally Li Shoude said dejectedly: "The city will be flooded with Luoshui outside the city."

Xie Rang couldn't help leaning forward when he heard the words, staring straight at Li Shoude and saying, "Why?" Seeing Li Shoude nodding silently, he couldn't help being stunned, and then slowly leaned back on the couch for a long time, and said, "Since this is the case, there is no need to force anything, I will do my best." Duty, that's all."

Li Shoude gritted his teeth and said: "But how many soldiers died during these months, so why is it like this? It's fine if it's because of retreat, slackness, separation of troops, or misconduct of general orders, but it's nothing. If this Los Angeles city can't be defended..." He couldn't stop his voice trembling, and said, "Even if I die, I can't rest in peace."

Xie Rang closed his eyes, his chest heaved slightly, and said with a wry smile: "But if you think about it, how many things in this life can go smoothly because you are unwilling. Then I should be able to let myself go." He said this, and then sighed, "It's just that, how many people can really be so free and easy."

Li Shoude's side had gradually calmed down. After listening to Xie Rang's words, he put his hands on his face and finally said: "The master said it. Now that this is the case, let's do whatever we want."

Xie Rang said: "When you come back tomorrow, when you are calm, I still have a few things to explain to you. Although there are special personnel in each ministry, the care between the two levels is also important. The general is enough to worry about the war. You and I are his staff. Don’t be careless about what you have to do.”

This was already an explanation, and Li Shoude's heart ached, but this was not the time to waste words, so he could only say: "Yes."

Xie Rang saw him agreeing in a deep voice, finally felt a little lighter in his heart, nodded and said: "That's good."

It was late at night when Li Shoude left the tent to thank him, but when he looked up, he saw Zhao Shen standing outside the tent, as if he had been here for a long time.He didn't know if he had listened to the conversation in the tent just now, and he was slightly annoyed that he lost his composure and said a lot of frustrating words just now, but seeing Zhao Shen's face did not show any change, he asked: "Why didn't the general go in."

After what happened the day before yesterday, Zhao Shen always felt that Xie Rang was very disappointed with what he did, and thinking about what Xie Rang said about Zhao Jing that day, he felt even more tortured in his heart, and couldn't get in after standing outside the tent for a long time.Listening to Li Shoude's question at this time, he only said: "The night is getting late."

Li Shoude didn't pay attention, but suddenly remembered something, and said: "The general's tent is on fire, do you want to investigate it?"

Zhao Shendao: "Check what?"

Li Shoude said: "I always feel that something is wrong, don't it be some trick of foreign enemies?"

Zhao Shen smiled when he heard the words: "Then it's time to find me inside." Then he said, "Chang Shi saw something strange?"

Li Shoude shook his head and said, "It's just worrying."

Zhao Shen said calmly: "It's nothing serious, just leave him alone."