ghost city

"General Meng and General Wang have assembled their troops to go to Yanmen, and they will probably arrive before us," Sima Shang said.

"How many troops do we have left?" Wei Ling asked after pondering for a moment.

"Nearly [-]. After allocating [-] troops to Hancang, our army still has [-] mixed infantry, [-] cavalry, [-] chariot soldiers and [-] crossbowmen. However, the original [-] Eight hundred of the elite soldiers of Wei Wu had been lost, and now there are only about four thousand left." Sima Shang's voice gradually dropped, his expression bleak.

When Wei Wuzu was mentioned, Wei Ling's eyes darkened again. Although he tried his best to conceal the pain and sadness, there were waves in his blue eyes.Perhaps because of grief and fatigue, his skin was pale and transparent at the moment, no different from ice.

"Eight hundred...eight hundred..." He muttered, eyes lowered, "Eight hundred soldiers died overnight."

The silver armor on his body was broken in several places, which should be the marks left by the fighting at that time; the cuffs were torn to pieces by the girl.The martial crown on his head was a little crooked, and a few strands of hair hung down his face, without the noble and noble spirit of the past, he looked like a down-and-out hero.

The girl stared at him for a moment, and then slowly looked away. For some reason, seeing him like this, she felt pity and sympathy in her heart.why?He is her own enemy, seeing the painful expression, she should be happy.But why couldn't she be happy at all.

The girl asked herself blankly over and over again, but couldn't get an answer.

"Eight hundred Wei soldiers died, why did you and I survive?" Wei Ling's pupils tightened slightly, staring at Sima Shang, "Eastern Emperor Taiyi seems to be conniving on purpose. His Hunyuan Tianfa did not Use your strength. Otherwise, we will either die or be disabled."

Wei Ling couldn't figure it out, his plan was perfect, and no one knew about it except Sima Shang, Xiaoyou, the Mo family and others.Why did Donghuang Taiyi come to rescue him?Could Star Soul's ambition be exposed?

No, no, the empire only wanted Xiaoyou and condemned Fusu.If that's the case, Xinghun must have been imprisoned, why can't the wind be heard outside?So why did Donghuang Taiyi come in time?Is it really the divination technique of the Yin Yang family?

"Well," Sima Shang said slowly, as if he was thinking about something, "His actions are indeed a bit unusual. The empire declared that we are the souls of the survivors of the Six Kingdoms, and that the entire army has been wiped out. I don't know if they were negligent, or they did it on purpose. What?" He also pondered with doubts on his face.

"My lord, this matter is over. Since they don't want trouble anymore, don't think about it anymore. The most important thing now is to subdue the ghost army in the north. The city lord only allowed us for one year. If we can't take them down, I'm afraid Han Cang can use this to criticize, which is not good for us."

Wei Ling nodded slightly: "If you don't return after the time limit, you'll be suspected of supporting yourself as a soldier. You must not be justified because of this."

"Uncle, I..." The girl hesitated for a moment, then spoke suddenly.

Sima Shang looked at her, smiled, and rubbed her hair: "Girl, you can stay with uncle. Now that Ying Zheng has ordered Fusu to search for you everywhere, it is safer at the border of Yanmen. Wait After the limelight is over, Uncle will find a place for you to live in. You and the Qin Empire should make a clean break."

Sima Shang's resolute face is a rare gentle expression. His wife and children all died in the flames of war.Ziyou is also the only blood of the eldest brother Li Mu, so he naturally regards it as his own.

"Fusu." Hearing this name, the girl's heart trembled and she murmured.If Fusu hadn't recommended her as a bodyguard back then, how dare Xinghun release her from hell?It's just that Fusu trusts her so much, but she is still tired of her.

"You'er," her thoughts were recalled again, "Remember, from today onwards, you are no longer Miss Zi in the empire. You are the daughter of Lord Wu'an Li Mu - Li Zi You." Sima Shang His tone suddenly became cold and serious, with an irresistible majesty.

"Li-Zi-you." The girl said her name dumbly.This name has not been mentioned for a long time, and it is already unfamiliar.

She is no longer Azi, but Li Mu's daughter——Li Ziyou.Yes, she wants to be Li Mu's daughter and a citizen of Zhao State!

She raised her head slightly, her eyes seemed to be looking out through the car, her eyes were still hazy, as if covered with a layer of mist.What choice can I make?Right now, going north with my uncle is the only way out.As for the Phoenix Gu, she has no time to take care of it at the moment, so she should make plans later.

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It was nearly March, and the cold air in the north was gradually subsiding, but the wind was still strong.The girl seemed to have smelled the wind and sand in Hudi.

After leaving Sanchuan County, they crossed the river and followed it all the way north. After traveling for more than ten days, they finally arrived at Yanmen County.

The rolling mountains, the steep and winding mountains, the majestic passes, and the rolling yellow sand all brought back her memories.

At that time, the years spent with her parents as a child were the only happy and carefree time in her life.

Although the Yanmen area is a bitterly cold place and often invaded by barbarians, it made her feel safe and secure.Because there are parents, uncles, Zhao Jun, and border people.

Looking at the mountains, you can vaguely see the solid and thick Great Wall of Zhao and the dangerous pass of Xiongguan.Especially the precipitous and dangerous pass on Gouzhu Mountain reminds her of her father all the time.The majestic Yanmenguan city tower is built high, majestically soaring into the sky, overlooking the vast Central Plains.The upturned eaves corner seems to stop the south geese flying north.

It's just that now, this pass has already become the grand pass of the Ying family.

"You'er, we're here." Sima Shang patted her on the shoulder, trying to bring her back to her thoughts.

Wei Ling had already walked ahead, and she and her uncle followed.Within a few steps, on the ancient Huangsha road, a group of soldiers and horses lined up to meet them. The leader was a sturdy general with a beard and mustache. It was Meng Yao.

Meng Yao knelt down on one knee and watched the three people walking step by step from a distance.The new wind rolled up their sleeves, the setting sun was setting, and the yellow sand was endless. The figures of the three people were printed under the boundless sky, so thin and lonely.

The wind blew across his face, and it hurt like a knife. He read it right, there were only three of them!

With a "boom" in his head, Meng Yao almost fainted. The eight hundred elite soldiers who went with the young master, could it be that all...

Those are his brothers!

Thinking of this, Meng Yao's eyes darkened, and his body fell forward.

"Ah Yao." Wei Ling quickly stepped forward to support his lieutenant general, and called out desolately, "I have failed my brothers, they all..." At this point, he was a little choked up, and he couldn't say any more. Say a word.

"Young master!" Meng Yao hugged Wei Ling tightly, and called out in a mournful voice, "Brothers are willing to die for you. Don't blame yourself anymore! I am lucky to see you come back with my own eyes today!"

Wei Ling put his hands on Meng Yao's body, his back was a little stiff, his eyes were painful, and his mouth was pursed into a line.

"Young Master, General Sima." A middle-aged man not far behind Meng Yao came up and bowed.

"Your Majesty Cheng is very polite." Sima Shang quickly helped him up.

The man surnamed Cheng was probably in his 40s, with a gentle appearance and a civil servant's attire.

Wei Ling looked at the man with some doubts, Sima Shang hurriedly introduced: "Young master, this is Lord Cheng Ting, the former governor of Yanmen County in Zhao State."

Only then did Wei Ling return the gift.

Afterwards, Cheng Ting led the crowd to the station.

There are about 2 Zhao survivors.After the Kingdom of Zhao was destroyed, they moved here with Cheng Ting, the governor of Yanmen County, and lived here on the plain south of Gouzhu Mountain, making a living by grazing animals.

This place is remote and there is no Qin army stationed there. When they first arrived, the life of the Zhao people was quiet.But later, all the surviving ghost army of the Huns gathered and entrenched in the north of Gouzhu Mountain, going south from time to time to plunder the border people, causing them to suffer a lot.

The cities where the border residents live are very simple and the city defenses are loose, so they cannot withstand large-scale attacks at all.Fortunately, the ghost army was a small-scale looting and intrusion, which did not cause them annihilation.

In addition to the mountains around the city, there are vast grasslands, and the poor water in the south has also solved the problem of drinking water.In spring and summer, lush grass grows on both sides of the water, which is a fertile pasture.Without the intrusion of the ghost army, the life of the frontier residents would still be very peaceful.

The ghost army of the Xiongnu was bloodthirsty by nature, and they came and went erratically. They often came out in small groups to loot the herdsmen, and sometimes they even took people captive.Whenever the ghost army invaded, the herders abandoned their cattle and sheep and ran back to the castle, while the frail old women and children were often taken captive.The young and strong were in the minority in the city, and their armaments were lax, so they were almost powerless to fight against the ghost army.Cheng Ting, the prefect, almost turned his head over this matter.Several times he almost wanted to persuade the border residents to move back to the Central Plains, but he still didn't say anything.

Now that Sima Shang Wei Ling and others came, the border people finally saw a way out.

Wei Ling seemed to have plans to stay permanently. Soon after he settled down, he divided his soldiers into three groups: some soldiers dug rocks into the mountains, rebuilt the city fortifications, and dug deep ditches outside the city to build trenches; A sentry post was built to monitor the whereabouts of the ghost army at all times; under the instructions of Wei Ling and Cheng Ting, the remaining soldiers cultivated fields on the plain outside the city.

In the past, the frontier residents were unable to operate the farmland normally due to the frequent intrusion of the ghost army, so they made a living on more flexible animal husbandry, but the limited livestock could not guarantee the frontier residents' food and clothing at all.Now that Wei Ling's ghost army is stationed, the border residents can cultivate the fields with peace of mind.

Wei Ling's large-scale movements seemed to make the ghost army of the Xiongnu smell the danger, so they couldn't shrink back.After all the fortifications were completed, Wei Ling recalled the army and practiced secretly in the city, but still sent scouts to spy on the enemy every day.The soldiers who cultivated fields outside the city took off their military uniforms and looked like ordinary people, which would not arouse the suspicion of the ghost army.

At first, the border residents were afraid and wary of the ghost army commanded by Wei Ling, but under the mediation of Sima Shang, the border residents gradually put aside their suspicions.

Wei Ling and Sima Shang are busy training soldiers all day long.Ziyou is fine, so she grazes with the herdsmen.The day is also leisurely.

Apart from the fact that there are more people grazing and farming in the border town, there is no sign of a large army stationed there.But even though Wei Ling hid the soldiers so secretly, he couldn't lure out the ghost army of the Xiongnu.

After coming and going, the army's morale will inevitably become a little slack.

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It was late spring in a blink of an eye, and the tender grass on the river beach had been densely covered with a layer.Liaoshui meanders past, like a jade belt.Cattle and sheep are scattered on the grassland, and the herdsmen are leisurely guarding the side, which seems to have restored the stability of the time when Li Mu was stationed on the side.

Cheng Ting divided the huge grassland into blocks according to households. The herdsmen each graze their own cattle and sheep, and there will be no disputes over competition for water and grass.This year, there has been a lot of rain, and the millet on the farmland is growing gratifyingly. The border residents no longer worry about food and clothing.

The widowed Aunt Zhang has only one son, Chang Sheng, who is only 14 years old this year, but he is born in good health.But Changsheng is stubborn by nature, he doesn't like farming and grazing, but loves to wield knives and guns.Since Wei Ling came, he has been mixed in the army every day, not doing farming.Aunt Zhang couldn't discipline her, so she had to take care of the family's farm work alone, raising cattle and sheep.Ziyou saw that she was working hard and she had nothing to do, so she helped her.Aunt Zhang treated her like her own daughter.

Wei Ling is a water ghost, and he doesn't usually eat, but water is inseparable.He is busy with military training every day and rarely has time to go out of the city.If you want to drink fresh and sweet river water, you can only go out of the city to get it in the evening.Ziyou often saw him go out of the city to fetch water from the river in the evening.Every time she watched from afar, she never stepped forward to speak.

Later, when Wei Ling finished his military training every day, he would see a bag full of water under the Populus euphratica tree in a corner of the training ground.

Although the girl didn't show up, Wei Ling vaguely guessed that she did it, but he didn't point it out.

In the month since I arrived in Yanmen, I have not seen a single looting by the ghost army of the Huns, and the scouts have hardly heard any news.The situation is quite strange.Wei Ling saw it in his eyes, and although he didn't say anything on the surface, he was also restless in his heart.The city lord promised him a one-year deadline, but he is not sure that he will subdue the ghost army of the Xiongnu within one year.

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In the evening, the herdsmen had all returned to the city, but the girl stayed by the water, quietly looking at the water.

The life in Yanmen is dull and boring, but it is also peaceful and peaceful, but the hidden worry in the girl's heart has not been reduced by half.

The phoenix Gu seemed to be faintly onset, and the symptoms were not obvious yet. Once she tried to use her spiritual power, she actually felt a slight numbness in her hands and feet.The ghost army of the Xiongnu does not know when it will be subdued, and everything in the future is unpredictable, and she does not know what plan to make.

"Why don't you return to the city when it's dark?" Wei Ling appeared behind the girl at some point.

Ziyou felt bored, too lazy to speak, and still looked at the water surface quietly.

Wei Ling sat down beside her and didn't speak anymore.

The weather in the prairie near summer has begun to heat up, and only on the banks of the river can one feel a little coolness.

The two had their own concerns, but just sat there, not saying a word.

"The night wind is blowing, let's go back." After a while, Wei Ling said suddenly.

The girl turned her head to look at him, with an impatient expression on her face: "The ghost army of the Xiongnu can't hide, are you going to stay here forever?"

"Naturally, it's impossible. The city lord won't allow it," Wei Ling replied indifferently, looking into the distance, "However, Xiaoyou, isn't life here good for you?"

"That's a good statement. If I can really live my whole life in such a peaceful way, I'll be content. But if I don't avenge my parents, how can I live in peace?" She replied indifferently.

"Do you think you can kill Ying Zheng with your current ability? You can't even deal with Han Cang, so why talk about revenge?" Wei Ling glanced at her and said indifferently.

What he said was the truth. Although the girl was dissatisfied, she was powerless to refute it.After a long time, she said again: "Wei Ling, what are your plans?"

"After the ghost army of the Xiongnu is pacified, I will consider the matter of assassinating Qin again. Don't worry, they won't last long. It has been two months since they looted blood and food. They must be going crazy from hunger. They are only afraid of the army in the city. It’s been too long to take action. After a while, the herdsmen will drive the cattle and sheep to the mountain pastures, and the ghost army will definitely take action.”

His gaze turned cold inch by inch, as if a big plan was brewing.