Looking at the mountains and rivers

At this time, Panmenguan, thousands of miles away from the capital, was scorching hot.

Different from Yunxia Pass, which is surrounded by rivers, this place is a land of yellow sand when it exits the pass. When Yan Yuye attacked and entered the pass before, he set fire again, burning the inside and outside of Panmen Pass to scorched earth.

On a wooden city tower blackened by smoke and fire, a young general is looking into the distance, his pupils are dark, deep and bottomless, looking deeply at the hot yellow sand of three thousand miles outside the pass.After a long time, he lowered his eyes, stretched out his hand and pressed his chest lightly, there was hidden a dagger wrapped in a rawhide sheath, the handle of the dagger was a little cold, biting his palm.

"General!" Pei An gave a military salute under the wooden building, "Liangzhou has dispatched soldiers and horses, about [-] people, and they are gathering for the garrison camp in the central plains of the city. The leader of the troops is Donghu General Ba Lieyan , accompanied by Major General Yuchi."

Wei Changxuan raised his head from his contemplation, and hurriedly said, "Lead the horse, I'll meet the two generals."

At that moment, some soldiers led Lie Feng to the bottom of the tower, Wei Changxuan was about to turn over and ride on, but he heard the sound of horseshoes in the distance, and Yu Chifeng had already galloped from the end of the road on a fast horse.

Wei Changxuan saw him from a distance, and immediately rode up to meet him. The two quickly joined each other and clapped their hands resoundingly in the air.Seeing Yu Chifeng's dusty face, obviously galloping all the way, Wei Changxuan couldn't help laughing and said, "Thank you, Major General, I didn't expect the troops from Liangzhou to come so fast."

After hearing this, Yu Chifeng couldn't be happy, he shook his head and said: "Don't mention it, once I arrived in Liangzhou, I went to find a few big guards to discuss about recapturing Ganzhou, but because I am a junior, most of the guards are against me. I didn't really understand it. When I was so anxious that I couldn't help it, I suddenly got the news that you had recovered Ganzhou and Panmenguan. Waiting for Duke Tuoba's order." He sighed at this point, "Grand Tuoba's condition has gotten worse recently, and his close relatives are guarding the inner room, and no one is allowed to enter. It was said that he was probably going to die. Until the eighth day of the eighth day, the sound of thunder and drums suddenly came from Tuoba Mansion..."

"Thunder drum?" Wei Changxuan raised his eyebrows.

Yu Chifeng explained: "The Thunder Drums are a pair of giant drums outside the gate of Tuoba's mansion. They are named Thunder Drums because they sound like thunder. It is said that Tuoba's ancestors took Kui cowhide to make them. There will be a beating sound. At that juncture, the sound of drums was suddenly heard. Everyone thought it was Duke Tuoba's death. Many people rushed into the Tuoba Mansion in a panic, and some collateral family heads of the Tuoba Clan even broke into the house. Unexpectedly, as soon as the door of the inner room was pushed open, an epee stretched out from inside, stabbing the side family head right through in an instant. Then Duke Tuoba strode out with his hair loose, When everyone saw that he was alive and well, and could get up, they immediately knelt down in fright." As he spoke, he clucked his tongue, "Speaking of which, although Duke Tuoba is very old, his aura is quite scary. He is sick. One good thing, no one dared to make noise, obediently sent troops to Ganzhou to support, this time the leader of the army, Ba Lieyan, is Duke Tuoba's confidant general."

"It turns out that the reinforcements came so quickly, it was Duke Tuoba's order."

"It's not necessarily what Duke Tuoba meant," Yu Chifeng shook his head, "I heard that the capital has issued a secret order, and they are also urging the Donghu defenders to send troops as soon as possible."

Wei Changxuan frowned again when he heard this, secretly thinking that no one in the capital can command Donghu now.

Yu Chifeng ignored his hesitation, but asked anxiously: "By the way, you only have more than [-] people in your hands, how did you capture Ganzhou and Panmenguan? They said you captured the prince of Yanyu , in exchange for Ganzhou, this incident spread all over the way, and there was an uproar in the army. Who doesn't know the reputation of Ashina thorn on the grassland, everyone said that if this person went hunting, he would encounter a head Lion, then it must be the lion who died in the end, not him." When he said this, he looked at Wei Changxuan with some amusement, "In this way, you are more powerful than the lion."

Wei Changxuan didn't laugh, but said in a low voice: "Ashi Najilian is indeed brave, and I don't think he should be his opponent."

Seeing his expression, Yu Chifeng thought that he misunderstood that he underestimated him, so he quickly suppressed his smile and said seriously: "Anyway, we have fought side by side, so I naturally believe that you can catch Ashina Thorn. He paused, and said in a low voice, "It's just... other people don't necessarily think so, especially General Balie, who led the troops here this time, you should be a little more careful."

"General Ba Lie?" Wei Changxuan frowned slightly, he had never dealt with this person before.

"This Balieyan, except for Duke Tuoba, doesn't listen to anyone's words. He has a stubborn temper and is like a bull. The chief guards of Donghu don't like him, but it's just because of Duke Tuoba's face. Call him General Ba Lie. I heard that he used to be a slave of the Tuoba family who was a blacksmith, and then he started to lead troops. He was brave in battle, but unfortunately he was stubborn and prejudiced against the people of the Central Plains. Do you know, he heard You took down Ganzhou City with thousands of people, and you even said that you were in collusion with the Yanyu people, that you must have ulterior motives, and I almost got into an argument with him along the way!"

As Yu Chifeng was talking, he saw Wei Changxuan's face was gloomy, as if something was embarrassing, he quickly reached out and patted him on the shoulder: "Don't pay attention to these nonsense, I know, you can never collude with Yanyu people……"

"Actually," Wei Changxuan took a deep breath and interrupted him, "Ganzhou City was indeed given to me by Ashina Jilian on purpose, and I didn't capture him."

Yu Chifeng was startled, his outstretched arm froze in mid-air, his thick black eyebrows suddenly frowned: "Did you really inform the Yanyu people?"

"No, I just made a covenant with him," Wei Changxuan said in a low voice, "He wants me to join hands with him to kill Ashinanur." He paused, and briefly recounted what happened that day.

After hearing this, Yu Chifeng was even more surprised: "Why do you believe him? He's a foreigner. Aren't you afraid that he's tricking himself into surrendering, and instead joins his uncle in attacking us and annihilating us all?"

Wei Changxuan didn't answer, he lowered his head, rolled up his sleeves, and stretched his arms in front of Yu Chifeng.

Yu Chifeng cast his eyes and saw a bloody scab on his forearm that was more than a foot long, judging from the scar, it was clearly cut by himself.Yu Chifeng was stunned for a moment, and finally realized: "You...you formed a blood alliance with him?"

The blood alliance is the most solemn covenant on the prairie, and the two parties in the alliance swear in blood to show that they will never betray.As a native of Donghu, Yu Chifeng knew the significance of this blood alliance, and became more and more anxious: "Wei Changxuan, you clearly know that the two countries are at war, and you have formed a blood alliance with the enemy prince. If this news gets out, your life will definitely die." Save!"

Wei Changxuan was silent for a moment: "Of course I know." He turned his head and looked at the direction outside the pass again, "But I'm afraid that if I miss this time, I won't have the chance to kill Ashinanur again."

Yu Chifeng looked at his expression, and said worriedly: "Wei Changxuan, do you want to kill Ashinanur so much, do you want to avenge Chen Shao, or is there some other reason?"

Wei Changxuan was taken aback by his question: "Any other reasons?"

"I always feel that your heart is impetuous. It's very different from the previous time at Yunxia Pass. It seems... as if you are eager to prove something." Yu Chifeng scratched his head, "If it's just for military merit, you don't have to be like this, this time Recovering Panmenguan is already a great achievement, and you will only be rewarded when you return to the court. If you insist on taking Ashina Nur's life, it will not be so easy. I still remember that Chen Shao was also eager for revenge, and ended up in danger Jing, I'm really worried that you will be like him..."

Wei Changxuan looked solemn and did not answer.

Seeing him like this, it was obvious that he had already made up his mind, Yu Chifeng knew it was useless to talk, so he could only sigh.The two of them got off their horses together, stepped up to the wooden building that had been scorched by the flames of war, and looking around, they saw soldiers under the tall city wall of Panmenguan, with their upper bodies exposed, sweating profusely to repair the city wall.

"These days, you bring your men here to build the city wall?"

Wei Changxuan shook his head: "The construction of the city wall has only started in the past few days. When we first entered the city, we didn't have time to spare." He paused, and said in a low voice, "There are too many people's bones scattered outside the city. , the weather is hot, we can only step up the burial, it took us a full ten days to bury all the bones."

Yu Chifeng was silent for a moment: "How many people are still alive in the city?"

"Less than a thousand people."

Yu Chifeng's breathing was stagnant. He had been to Ganzhou the year before last. At that time, it was still a lively small border town. He did not expect that after a war, the people in the city were massacred to less than a thousand people.He gritted his teeth and slammed his fist on the rotten wooden fence: "These Yanyu bastards!"

Wei Changxuan said in a low voice: "Now you know why I must kill Ashinanur."

Yu Chifeng was stunned: "But how do you know that Ashinanur will return to attack the city? Did that Prince Jilian tell you?"

"Since he left, there has been no news. But I know that Ashinanur is cunning and greedy. He is unwilling to lose this city. He will definitely come again." Wei Changxuan leaned on the railing of the wooden building and calmed down. Said, "As long as he comes, I will never let him have another chance to escape."

Yu Chifeng looked into his dark eyes from the side, and vaguely felt that when he made up his mind, he had put his own life and death aside.He was worried in his heart, and couldn't help saying: "Wei Changxuan, you said earlier that you still have concerns in the capital, right? You are so determined to go out this time, that you don't care about your concerns anymore?"

The gate is closed, and the Chinese army's big tent.

The night wind tore open a corner of the military tent, causing the candles in the tent to falter. Standing in the tent were the scouts sent a few days ago.

"Since the Yanyu army withdrew from Ganzhou City, Ashina Nur led the Yanyu army to retreat all the way, and now they have retreated two hundred miles away from Panmen Pass."

"Withdrawing two hundred miles so quickly, is it possible that he is going to cross the river and go back to Yanyu's tooth tent?" Yu Chifeng murmured, he raised his head and looked at the other person in the tent, "General Balie, what do you think? "

Ba Lieyan was tall and strong, looking like an iron tower, he frowned slightly at this moment, and said for a long time: "I said that after you hour, I will go to the big tent to discuss the military situation, why is that General Wei not coming?"

Hearing that there was a hint of anger in his words, Yu Chifeng hurriedly stood up, "General Wei is still under the city to supervise the soldiers to repair the damaged city wall at Panmenguan, presumably he didn't intend to delay."

Ba Lieyan snorted coldly: "The Yanyu people have run so far away, and he is still building some kind of city wall here. In my opinion, he is just looking for excuses to delay the military plan."

Yu Chifeng frowned and was about to speak, but someone outside the tent said loudly: "Yanyu's iron cavalry come and go like the wind, even if they withdraw two hundred miles at this moment, it is difficult to guarantee that they will not turn back and make a surprise attack overnight. If the city is not stabilized, why don't we go back like the wind?" Like before, you will lose the door again?"

As soon as the words fell, the tent door was lifted from the outside, and a tall young man strode in. His armor was covered with plaster, but he could not hide his outstanding bearing. After entering the tent, he slightly arched his hands: "General Balie, I It's late."

Ba Lieyan looked at him coldly: "You are Captain Wei Changxuan of Habayashi? I heard that you killed the enemy general He Lu with one arrow in the battle of Yunxia Pass, and this time you captured the Prince of Yan Yu Ashina Jilian, Such a young hero is really admirable."

Even though he said that, his tone was very disapproving, and he said again: "Since General Wei is so outstanding, must he have a strategy in mind to fight the enemy this time?"

"The battle between the two armies is nothing more than killing the enemy. There is no countermeasure," Wei Changxuan said in a low voice, "It's just that Ashina Nuer has been retreating again and again, and there is no chance of fighting yet."

"Since we are fighting, there will be no chance," Ba Lieyan slapped the table, "I also ask General Wei to bring light cavalry armor and go out with me to chase the Yanyu army. As for Major General Yuchi, he will lead the remaining troops to defend Respond within the pass."

Both Wei Changxuan and Yu Chifeng were taken aback, they didn't expect his military order to be issued so suddenly, Wei Changxuan said first: "General Ba Lie, why are you in such a hurry to pursue the enemy?"

"The scouts just said that Ashinanur is retreating towards Yan Yu's tooth tent. If we don't chase him, is it possible to let him return to the tooth tent safely?" Balieyan squinted at Wei Changxuan, "Wei The general looks distressed, is there any inconvenience?"

Wei Changxuan shook his head: "Don't you think it's strange, General Ba Lie? Yan Yu's mobilization of troops this time can be said to mobilize the army. They haven't got a bargain yet, so why are they willing to withdraw so easily?"

"General Wei is really young, and he doesn't have a clear understanding of the war." Ba Lieyan sneered, "Yanyu always mobilizes troops in autumn and winter, not spring and summer. Do you know why? Because Yanyu people herd cattle To make a living, no one grazes in spring and summer, and will starve to death in autumn and winter. Now that Ashinanur has been away with 20 people for two months, even if he is willing to delay, Yanyu Khan will never allow it. Or, they mobilized troops this time just to take advantage of Tuoba Gong's illness, but now that the news of Tuoba Gong's recovery has already spread, those Yanyu people dare not offend Tuoba Gong's army Wei."

Hearing this, Wei Changxuan raised his eyes suddenly, looked at him at the same level, and said in a low voice: "Dare to ask General Balie, has Duke Tuoba really recovered from his illness?"