Snake Tale

The autumn rain is empty, and the barren fields are silently immersed in the weeds.In the refuge for the common people behind Jucheng, Feng Wei is teaching a few young children to rush to work.Occasionally, I looked as far as the eye can see, and saw a slender figure walking over the weeds and mud on the muddy field ridge in the distance.Feng Wei put down the things in his hands, and welcomed Shen Yuzhu into the temporary thatched shed.

Shen Yuzhu hung the coir raincoat under the eaves and asked, "How is the situation?"

"What else can I do?" Feng Wei also replied with the same brevity, "Saving life is not saving death. I left a few more last night."

The lack of food and grass is naturally to protect the soldiers who are born and die on the front line, and secondly to supply the young and strong people who still have enough energy.A few days ago, a woman was caught for falsely claiming multiple rations.Holding the baby in her arms, she held Feng Wei's sleeve and wept and begged, saying that she was hungry and could not produce milk to feed her young son, so she could only watch her own flesh and blood starve to death in her arms.

Feng Tong said in a low voice: "That baby is not as heavy as a cat cub, it's blue and yellow, and it's crying from hunger. He...he's trying very hard to live, but..."

He stopped talking and rubbed his cheeks wearily.What a sad and tragic scene it was at that time, but it is already in the silence.Shen Yuzhu turned his eyes to look at Feng Wei, saw that his messy beard and hair couldn't hide his haggard look, the corners of his eyes were red, and his face was sallow, so he guessed that he must be saving his rations to help the people.After a pause, he said earnestly in a low voice: "Master Feng, the more you need to take care of yourself at this time, once you fall, who should the people in the city rely on to comfort and take care of you?"

Knowing his good intentions, Feng Wei smiled lightly, sat down slowly with the support of the pillar, and said, "I'm afraid I won't have to last long." He stared at the gray rain, and said sadly: "There have been rumors these days that Yan State dispatched another [-] soldiers to the front line, vowing to wipe out Qi State’s ancestral hall. Who can survive such a dangerous situation? ——With our broken leg general who can’t even stand up?”

Shen Yuzhu felt that these words were harsh, frowned and said, "Master Feng, do you really think so?"

Feng Wei said numbly: "What's the use of me being the only one who believes in him? The important thing is what do the thousands of soldiers and civilians think?" He put his arms on his knees, looked at Xiao Su's place with his back bent, and said: "In the past few days, the rations have been distributed with small dendrobium, and they have changed from corn to brown rice. One meal a day, how can you get enough to eat? The people are struggling to live, and people's hearts are inevitably fluctuating. Many people have already started to rebuild their carriages, and they are ready to flee for their lives—you Where do you think they will flee to? I heard that the five cities such as Kedian and Wumou couldn't hold on anymore, and Kaesong surrendered. The leader of the coalition army must have wanted to win people's hearts. Distributing rations to feed them—can you and I blame these people for defecting to the enemy to survive?"

Shen Yuzhu was silent, Feng Wei looked at a place in the distance, and said: "Xiao Yang, I have worshiped Momen for nearly ten years, and I am not afraid of giving up my life for righteousness and defending the country." He said quietly, "But For these men and women, there is only one kind of justice in this world, and that is to live!"

Feng Wei's mood was very depressed, Shen Yuzhu said a few words of relief, and had no choice but to leave.After walking past the place where Feng Wei had been watching, he saw a small bag buried in the wasteland.I don't know who made a small wreath out of sorrel flowers and put it on it.But I saw the thin red petals trembling in the fierce cold wind for a long time.

In the main tent where military affairs were discussed, tallow candles illuminated the twists and turns of the mountains on the sand table and the deep forests, but it couldn't illuminate the deep valleys in Luo Yi's heart.After listening to the general's report, he turned his face sideways and said with a smile: "According to Captain Guo's words, our army's rations can only last for ten days?"

The captain said in a low voice: "Yes, this is still on the premise of continuing to distribute Xiaohu..."

"Ten days is more than enough." Luo Yi calmly pointed to a post road behind the enemy's stronghold, "I have received the letter that in three days, the enemy army will transport supplies and supplies through Kaimeng City."

The subordinate suddenly asked: "The general intends to hijack the enemy's food and grass?"

Luo Yi said: "We can first = as usual, send troops to harass the enemy's camp and lure snakes out of their holes; on the other hand, lead Qingqi to raid Kaimeng City, even if we can't harvest the grain and grass for our own use, we can still set fire to the enemy's granary ..."

He spoke in an orderly manner, and when the generals nodded repeatedly, one of them became overjoyed and said, "This move is feasible! You must know that the enemy army has millions of people, and they have penetrated into our country. Sterner than us—we'll see who will be the first to lose his temper!"

Another person was more serious and said: "However, the enemy army has always been scheming, what if they see through our plan of 'turning the tiger away from the mountain'...?"

"You generals don't need to worry. The enemy army also has our people as internal support." Luo Yi smiled slightly, "Besides, our army has a bait that makes this 'tiger' have to move—"

He looked around at the generals, and said word by word: "I will personally go into battle and lead the raid."

"General, please think again!"

In the hall, three or two of Luo Yi's confidantes who had followed Luo Yi for a long time came to his room to present their feelings in turn, but Luo Yi was still unmoved. The situation in the battle is extremely critical, and it all depends on the support of the general alone. If the general also... the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Luo Yi said indifferently: "It is precisely because of the extreme danger that the soldiers need to make dangerous moves and surprise to win. This arrangement has an inevitable reason and a chance to win, it is definitely not my whim. I have already told you all about the various opportunities. It is." He raised his eyes from the letter and said coldly: "Anyone who obstructs in every possible way will shake the morale of the army before the battle, and all will be dealt with by military law."

His tone was not hurried or slow, but there was a sense of calmness and prestige.The subordinates turned pale, and all were silent. When they were at a loss, they heard someone outside the hall laughing: "Okay! General Luo is running the army like a man. He really deserves to be a generation of famous generals."

Everyone looked back, only to see a young man in a green shirt walking in.Some people have already recognized that this is Shen Yuzhu who has no fame but has always come and gone freely in the camp.But he pushed open the door and walked straight in, passed through a crowd of military officers who were kneeling, lifted his hem, Shi Shiran sat down in front of Luo Yi, and said with a nonchalant and frivolous smile: "I also have a cliché to say goodbye to the general. .Since you are going to be dealt with by military law, how dare you ask the general where he plans to strike first?"

Seeing that this commoner acted and said without any scruples, everyone couldn't help but change their expressions.Luo Yi sat still, held back his anger, and said to his subordinates, "...you guys go down first."

Shen Yuzhu said coldly: "No need, the so-called 'killing chickens to scare monkeys', if these adults don't let these adults take a good look at my end, how can General Luo stand up?"

Luo Yi's blue eyes burst out with anger like gold, and the letter in his hand made a "click" sound.Several staff members really didn't expect that Shen Yuzhu would be so blatant and humiliated, and they were so shocked that they hurriedly apologized and retreated, and there were only Luo and Shen left in the hall.

Luo Yi was furious: "Shen Yuzhu, if you continue to rely on—" He gritted his teeth and endured, and said: "If you dare to provoke me like this openly in front of everyone, I——I will—" His heart was full of anger Bobo, but no matter what, he couldn't say harsh words, he couldn't make a sentence, and it was hard to continue.

On the contrary, Shen Yuzhu sneered, and said, "I rely on what I am. Is General Luo lucky? Right now, the main army is running out of food, and the ancient famous generals will inevitably kill a few concubines and cut off their flesh at this critical moment." Come and reward your subordinates, so that they will be grateful and willing to run for you. You don’t have a concubine, so shouldn’t you kill me?”

"Shen Yuzhu!" Luo Yi couldn't bear it any longer, and interrupted with an angry shout.Shen Yuzhu turned a deaf ear and said angrily, "Why didn't you tell me before you made such a hasty decision? If I hadn't seen the craftsman put saddles on your mount, I would still be in the dark—you When are you going to tell me?"

Luo Yi was furious and said with a sneer, "I am the commander-in-chief of an army, so every time I make a decision, I have to submit it to you for approval?"

Shen Yuzhu also sneered again and again, and said: "Aren't you guilty? Your subordinates have a duty of loyalty to you, and they have to carefully maintain your poor self-esteem, but I don't need it. No one in the world is better than me. Clearly, Luo Yi, you simply don’t have the ability to straddle a horse and hold a gun and lead an army in battle—why are you deluding yourself? You’re just desperate and desperate!—”

Before the words fell, there was a loud bang, sawdust flying everywhere, and Luo Yi's fist smashed the case between the two into two pieces!Luo Yi was so angry that he trembled all over, the vigorous and fierce aura almost made the six armies retreat.Shen Yuzhu was not afraid at all, reached out to brush off the debris on the hem of his clothes, raised his chin and smiled sarcastically: "Why, do you still have the energy to teach me a lesson?"

The sarcasm and contempt in his words made Luo Yi's heart hurt like a knife, and he stared at Shen Yuzhu fiercely, saying every word like a curse: "You know very well that even if I slaughter all the people in the world, even if I tear myself apart, Flesh turned into mud—I will never touch a single hair of yours!"

Shen Yuzhu's whole body trembled, he turned his face away, and gritted his teeth without saying a word.Luo Yi took a deep breath, trying to calm down.He thought of the past when the person in front of him was beaten wantonly by his irrational self, and his face was covered with blood, and he felt a pang of sadness in his heart, and said in a low voice: "Don't you even... think I'm a waste?!"

Since his legs were disabled, he has gone through all the tedious diagnosis and treatment and painful rehabilitation without saying a word, but the injury is always delayed and repeated, with little effect.He never showed any pain and sorrow in front of people, and over time, he even deceived himself.However, the fear of being disabled for life, the unwillingness to gallop on the battlefield to his heart's content, the pain of being humiliated all the time, and the envy of people with healthy limbs, are like maggots attached to the bones, crazily growing in his body... How could he not know How does the outside world talk about him and belittle him?He needs a victory more than ever - not only for the current crisis, but for himself!

Luo Yi gritted his teeth, stared closely at Shen Yuzhu, and said in a trembling voice: "People in the whole world can think that I can never win this battle, and they can all say that I am a joke of overreaching—but you can't! You cannot!"

Shen Yuzhu slowly got up and walked to his seat.He knelt down in front of Luo Yi, hugged his knees, and said softly, "Of course I believe you. Luo Yi, I know you will recover."

Luo Yi was startled, but saw Shen Yuzhu raised his face, looked at him gently and firmly, and said: "I used to be a person who was single-minded and just learned from other things, but from now on, I will do my best Studying Qihuang medical skills, no matter what the price is, I will definitely heal your leg—Luo Yi, if you want me to believe you, then you will naturally believe me too!"

Luo Yi's chest suddenly brightened, and he tightly held Shen Yuzhu's hand, his eyes flickered, showing both surprise and joy.But Shen Yuzhu said in a low voice: "But the current situation is very unfavorable to your injury. You are tired all day long, you are tired from work, and you can't sleep for two or three hours a day, not to mention that the war is in full swing and you are always in danger. The danger of the danger——Luo Yi! Such a day, even a strong and tough person can't bear it, how can you have the leisure to percuss the doctor and prescribe medicine?"

Luo Yi gradually calmed down, stretched out his hand to support Shen Yuzhu, and muttered: "Shen Yuzhu, are you teaching me to run away?"

Shen Yuzhu said: "You should at least give up the idea of ​​going into battle yourself. On the battlefield, swords have no eyes, and your current situation is bound to be unable to cope with it as easily as before. In case something goes wrong—"

Luo Yixin said: "Shen Yuzhu is definitely not a person who promises lightly, since he promised to heal my injury, he naturally has some eyebrows about it." With a move in his heart, he stared at him tightly and said: "Shen Yuzhu, You are proficient in the technique of Qihuang, since there is a miracle medicine in this world that can restore me to my original state, is there such a prescription that can connect broken bones in a short period of time - allowing me to walk as before in a few days?"

Shen Yuzhu's face changed, and Luo Yi really saw the clue.He couldn't help Luo Yi asked repeatedly, and said coldly: "Yes, I do know that there is such a prescription, but it is weird and vicious, close to the forbidden technique of witchcraft. It's so cool, and the patient will feel the gnats and ants in his body every night, and the itching is followed by severe pain, as if he is being tortured by a thousand cuts, which is far beyond the tolerance of human beings. And that's just It is a method to encourage the growth of seedlings, and it is very likely to be backlashed by the medicine. Not only will the legs be completely disabled, but also the body may be invaded by filth and poison, and the mind will be disturbed. In the end, the muscles and bones will be broken and died suddenly—even so, are you willing to try it? ?”

He was very angry, and what he said was mixed with truth and falsehood, and he tried his best to describe it as grotesque and sinister, just to make the other party retreat.But Luo Yi didn't hesitate for a moment, and replied without thinking: "I am willing."

Shen Yuzhu was so angry that he was speechless for a moment.Luo Yi drove the wheelchair, walked to the side of the giant sand table map in the hall, overlooked the mountains, thought about the past and present, and said slowly: "Shen Yuzhu, since the Three Emperors and Five Emperors practiced Zuo, it has been two thousand and sixty-seven years. Most of them are ignorant and dull The long night can be ignored; only some key points of the flash, what kind of choice a person makes will not only affect his life, but will even determine the course of the entire dynasty. If Xia Qi followed the ancient system , never raised an army to seize the throne; Ji Fa turned to Anxiqi, and never raised an army to attack Zhou——Thousands of years later, how can there be you and me?"

He raised a pair of blue eyes and looked directly at Shen Yuzhu, and his usual deep voice could not conceal his generosity and enthusiasm: "And now, I am in the middle of a once-in-a-lifetime gamble - Luo's plan for ten generations is nothing but I have gained a firm foothold in the corner of the state of Jin. After all, I am a "scholar" who bows his head and obeys his orders. Looking at other countries, where is there such a wonderful opportunity like today, which allows me to quickly make achievements, attract people's hearts, and even become a prince and worship a minister? , The tiger looks at the princes? How can I miss this fleeting opportunity!"

Shen Yuzhu remained silent, and whispered: "I understand... However, even if you win this game, even if you look down on the princes and shine through the ages - so what? For these external things, you would rather sacrifice your health and life count?"

"That's right." Luo Yi said coldly, "I'd rather sacrifice my lifespan in order to make the world tremble and shine brightly, than spend this life with sound limbs and mediocrity."

Shen Yuzhu asked sadly: "Then would you rather lose me?"

Luo Yi's whole body was shocked, and he was speechless for a moment.Shen Yuzhu said in a low voice: "Luo Yi, why can't I not see your ambition? You took advantage of Qi's national calamity to eradicate dissidents and cultivate power in secret - this time you joined Qi, you came here for the position of Marquis of Qi." ,Yes or no?"

Luo Yi admitted with indisputable arrogance: "So what? In terms of background, you and I are the sons of the Qi State; in terms of talents, how many civil and military people in the Manchu Dynasty can stand shoulder to shoulder with me? Even the prophecy said that there is still one Young Master is going to replace Ji Wukui in the Datong—if you don’t take it, you will be blamed instead, this throne should be mine!”

Shen Yuzhu said softly: "That's right, then you must know that I have a withdrawn and surly temperament. In this life, I hate high-ranking officials and nobles, fame and fortune the most, let alone the king of a country? If you really become the king of Qi, I will be the king of Qi." It's absolutely impossible to be by your side all the time like now—if that's the case, you... don't you care?"

Luo Yi trembled, turned his head away, stared at the great rivers and mountains on the sand table, remained silent for a while, his expression was dim and difficult to understand.Shen Yuzhu stood on one side, waiting in embarrassment for a long, long time, but finally did not get a response - no matter how unwilling he was, he should understand that silence is the best response.

He laughed at himself, said "I'm sorry" softly, closed the door and left alone.Luo Yi raised his eyes and saw that there were beautiful and lingering water patterns on the door, but there were no waves, and it was as quiet as if no one had ever walked in.