A Piece of Li Song Changting Twilight

Two nights later.

Under the cover of the night, a school gate was opened under the city wall on the west side of Yingtian Mansion, and a group of people dressed in Jinbing costumes, with red ribbons tied around their necks and wooden coins in their mouths, quietly left the city and approached the Jinbing stationed. place to dive.

Half an hour later, a fire ignited on the plain, as if a fiery red dragon soared into the sky, startling the heavens.

Zhao Pingzhen and Qin Xiaolou stood side by side on the city tower, the moment the smoke ignited, Zhao Pingzhen put away the folding fan in his hand, and said loudly: "The whole city is preparing for war!"

The sound of the second watch in the city rang out, hovering over the city, lingering for a long time.

Zhao Pingzhen and Qin Xiaolou went down the gate tower and strolled along the path at night, the two figures stretched long by the moonlight.

Zhao Pingzhen asked: "Since when did you think of fighting the Jin soldiers?" Almost none of the people who stayed behind guarded the city thought about really fighting the Jin soldiers. Go south to buy time, as long as the city is closed and you can endure the clamor and insults from the golden soldiers outside the city every day, and when the food in the city runs out, you can retire.

Qin Xiaolou's footsteps slowed down for a moment, and he said, "Ten days ago."

"Oh?" Zhao Pingzhen raised his eyelids to look at him: "Why?"

Qin Xiaolou smirked slightly, his smile hidden in the night: "Your Highness will follow me to Wufeng Street tomorrow." Zhao Pingzhen gave him a surprised look, but didn't ask any further questions, but held Qin Xiaolou's hand :"good."

The two returned to the military aircraft department, and Ma Ban, the lieutenant general in charge of the sneak attack, had returned with his death squad, and reported good news—all the food and grass of the Wushu army had been burned!Even the camp was set on fire!And this operation went smoother than expected, they hardly encountered any obstacles, because Wushu really underestimated the enemy.

Zhao Pingzhen excitedly stood up and walked back and forth twice in the room, rubbing his palms and saying, "Okay, okay, okay. Take your brothers down to receive the reward."

During this period, Zhang Chen sat on the side without saying a word, with a faint smile on his usual deep expression; while Qin Xiaolou narrowed his eyes expressionlessly.

Ma Ban was about to leave when Qin Xiaolou stood up suddenly and asked unhurriedly, "Slow down. General Ma, how many brothers have you died this time?"

Ma Ban had an unstoppable smile on his face: "Report to the military division, there are no casualties!"

Qin Xiaolou said again: "Then how many golden men have you killed?"

The smile on Ma Ban's face froze for a moment, and he said awkwardly: "This... we set fire to the camp and came back. We didn't count the casualties of the golden soldiers."

Zhao Pingzhen looked at Qin Xiaolou in surprise, and a smile settled on his face.

Qin Xiaolou looked deeply at Ma Ban, and Ma Ban gradually couldn't bear his sharp gaze, and couldn't help lowering his head.Qin Xiaolou sighed for a long time, parted his vermilion lips lightly, and said word by word: "General Ma, this is the Death Squad you picked out."

"Tom!"

Ma Ban suddenly knelt down, and his knees supported the weight of his burly body and hit the floor with a loud noise.His thick lips kept murmuring, but he didn't know what to say—the task Zhang Jiu gave him was to burn Wushu's food and grass, so as to force Wushu to retreat. As for Jin Bing, Zhang Jiu's original words were "play by ear." ".Ma Ban thinks that he has successfully completed the task and deserves military merit.This errand is indeed extremely dangerous, and this selected team can be regarded as "dare to die".They can successfully complete the task and come back, it can be said that they have saved their lives.

Qin Xiaolou took two steps forward, and Ma Ban, who was kneeling on the ground, saw a pair of plain white boots in front of him.

"Since the Jin soldiers were unprepared, and you burned the grain, grass and military strongholds so smoothly, why didn't you go in and attack them?"

Maban dared not speak.

Qin Xiaolou went a step further, and then asked: "Why didn't you confirm the number of casualties of the Jin soldiers? You burned the enemy's camp and food, why did you run back like your own buttocks were burned?"

Ma Ban's forehead was already pressed to the ground, and his body was trembling slightly.

Qin Xiaolou concluded lightly: "You are afraid. You are not afraid of death, but you are still afraid of the soldiers and horses of the Jin people. Meeting them face to face is something that makes you feel more frightened than death. Don’t even dare to take a look. Not only you, but all the people in my Damu Kingdom are afraid. The emperor is so afraid that he doesn’t even dare to ask for company. gone."

These remarks were directly about the right and wrong between Zhao Nanke and the late emperor, but if there was a suspicious person who went out and chewed his tongue, Qin Xiaolou would have endless troubles in the future.But he said it in such a calm tone, so lightly, that it almost made people suspect that there was something wrong with his ears.

Zhang Zhuqing couldn't help but secretly glanced at Zhao Pingzhen worriedly, Zhao Pingzhen's eyes were only locked on Qin Xiaolou, his face was normal, and he didn't think he was disobedient.

Qin Xiaolou then asked: "General Ma, how long have you been in the army?"

"Return...report to the military division, seven years."

"Seven years is considered a veteran. How long have you been fighting the Jinren?"

"I went to the north in the first year of joining the army, and the first battle I fought was the battle of Fengcheng with the Jinren."

Qin Xiaolou nodded: "Well, you must know Jin Bing very well. Let me ask you two questions. First, how do you think our Da Mu's army is inferior to the Jin Army? Second, if this time is What will the Jin people do if they sneak up on us?"

Ma Ban was silent for a long time, and lowered his body even lower: "Military division..."

Qin Xiaolou said: "If you can figure out these two questions, in three years, I guarantee that you will become the chief general, not just a small general. That's fine, you go down and take the boys to receive the rewards." Bar."

Ma Ban kowtowed unceasingly, tremblingly said: "Your Highness, military advisor, my subordinates dare not accept the reward."

Qin Xiaolou was about to speak, but Zhao Pingzhen answered, "You don't want a reward, but you should too. Go."

Ma Ban kowtowed three times, thanked him and left.

After Ma Ban left, Zhao Pingzhen saw that Zhang Juzheng was looking at Qin Xiaolou thoughtfully, feeling both complacent and unhappy.Qin Xiaolou is like his treasure to him, he is naturally happy when others see him well; but when others see him like this, he feels jealous that his ownership has been violated.

Qin Xiaolou suddenly said: "General Zhang, after Wu Shu clears up the mess, it's time to fight for the last battle. Have you made all the arrangements?"

Zhang Qiu said: "It's done."

Qin Xiaolou said: "General Zhang should hurry up and prepare to supervise the battle in person. Only when General Zhang is here can His Royal Highness King Rui dare to breathe a sigh of relief."

These words were clearly driving people away, Zhang Chen understood the implication of his words at once, and he really wanted to supervise the battle, so he immediately resigned.

After everyone left, Zhao Pingzhen leaned on the back of the chair and opened his arms to Qin Xiaolou: "Come, sit in my arms."

Qin Xiaolou was obedient as always, his bony body was pressed onto Zhao Pingzhen's legs, and Zhao Pingzhen couldn't even feel the weight.Holding Qin Xiaolou's slender waist, he sighed, "You are still too thin."

It was rare for Zhao Pingzhen to show such a gentle look to Qin Xiaolou, Qin Xiaolou's intestines twisted and turned several times, showing a more intimate gesture in coordination.

Zhao Pingzhen sighed for a reason he didn't even understand, lifted Qin Xiaolou's chin and kissed it.

No one knows how long this kiss lasted. When Qin Xiaolou's face was flushed and limp in Zhao Pingzhen's arms, he glanced at the red candle on the top of the cabinet - there was only about half of it left, but now it is almost burned. bottomed out.

Zhao Pingzhen poked his hand in from his lapel, played with his body skillfully, and asked in a flat tone: "What else did you want to say to Ma Ban just now?"

Qin Xiaolou raised his neck impatiently, and his voice was soft, as if it was a cat's paw gently scratching someone in his ears: "It's almost the same as what His Highness said." After a pause, he bent his eyes and smiled: "I almost Stealing His Highness's words. Grace and power come together, I am Wei, Your Highness is grace."

Zhao Pingzhen said "Yes": "Ma Ban is unusable, but he has a relatively simple mind and can be promoted. Leave him alone for a few days, and give him benefits later."

Qin Xiaolou said: "It should be like this."

Zhao Pingzhen was extremely satisfied.He likes smart people, but they must be smart enough. For example, a restrained person like Qin Xiaolou will not embarrass you even if he guesses your thoughts, and it will not take much effort to talk to him.What's more, Qin Xiaolou's usefulness to him is not limited to this, it can be called multi-purpose.

Zhao Pingzhen smiled, picked up Qin Xiaolou's waist, placed him on the table, and pressed him on top.

Four watch.

Sure enough, the angry Wushu launched the final and deadliest attack on Ying Tianfu after gathering the rest of his troops.As early as when the whole set of plans was drawn up, Zhang Jiu believed that if a general has no food and grass, it means that he has no way out. Facing a city that cannot be captured in a short while, he should retreat immediately.But both Qin Xiaolou and Zhao Pingzhen believed that Wushu would never retreat.

The sky is not bright yet, and the sky seems to have been wiped with ink pen diluted by Qinshui. It is gray and suffocating.

The mad golden soldiers rushed towards Yingtian Mansion like a flood, Zhao Pingzhen could feel their anger even standing several miles away.He shouted: "Soldiers! For Ying Tianfu!"

Thousands of soldiers at the top of the city responded in unison: "For Ying Tian Fu!!

"For Da Mu!"

"For Da Mu!!"

Qin Xiaolou looked at the golden soldiers approaching in a formation of geese, smiled calmly, and threw out eight words lightly: "Avoid their sharpness, attack their weaknesses."

This time, Wushu tried his best.His army had been guarding outside Yingtian Mansion for nearly a month, and the first few days were the most fierce offensive and suffered the heaviest losses.Afterwards, he finally found that Yingtian Mansion was not as easy as the two cities he had fought in the past, so most of the time he feigned attacks, hiding out of the range of the bow and arrow and yelling at the city, occasionally he really attacked, and retreated if he didn't find any loopholes. up.This time, he was betting on the final bet.

Even though Qin Xiaolou knew that the strength of Yingtian Mansion would never be broken by Wushu's anger, he was still a little dizzy when he saw such a battle, and took a step back while covering his forehead: "Your Highness, let's go down. "

Looking at his pale face, Zhao Pingzhen couldn't help raising his eyebrows jokingly: "If you are like you, how will you be my wife Zhang in the future?"

Qin Xiaolou said: "He who is good at being a soldier does not use martial arts. He who is good at fighting does not get angry. He who is good at defeating the enemy does not fight. He who is good at using people is inferior. This is the virtue of not fighting, it is the virtue of using people, and it is called matching." Extremely ancient."

Zhao Pingzhen repeated word by word: "A good fighter, don't get angry... Interesting. Is this the words in "Sun Tzu's Art of War"?"

Qin Xiaolou shook his head: "It's the Tao Te Ching."

Zhao Pingzhen frowned slightly.It should be known that Mu Guo advocates Confucianism and believes that Taoism is passive and withdrawn from the world. Taoist books were even banned during Taizu's time, and they were not allowed to be read until Chengzu's time.But in the final analysis, domestic scribes still think that Taoism is not popular.

"Do you read Taoist stuff?"

Qin Xiaolou didn't seem to be interested in this topic: "There is always a reason for a hundred schools of thought to contend, so it's okay to have a look. Your Highness, I promise to take you to Wufeng Street today."

Zhao Pingzhen happened to want to know what aroused Qin Xiaolou's fighting spirit, so he said, "Then let's go."

There is a noisy war outside the city, but the city is quiet like a dead city. There is almost no one on the bustling streets in the past. The people all closed the doors and windows and hid in the house, as if this would be an extra step to resist the aggression of the golden soldiers. barrier.

Zhao Pingzhen has long been accustomed to all this, and followed Qin Xiaolou to Wufeng Street without looking sideways.

There is an old man in the middle of the street.Seen from the side, the old man's beard and hair are already gray, and I am afraid that he is in his sixtieth year at least.He stood in front of a table, holding a long pole in his hand, and yelled and sang opera.His voice is not old, and even has a strange melodious and melodious voice, but he sings a dialect in the Shaanxi-Gansu area, Zhao Pingzhen sounds a bit difficult.

The two walked slowly in front of the old man, and Zhao Pingzhen was surprised to find that there was a translucent white cloth in front of the old man, on which colored dolls were reflected, running and jumping vividly.

Zhao Pingzhen exclaimed: "This is a shadow play!"

The old man who played the shadow puppet didn't seem to care about the two audiences. He performed his play the same whether there were people or not, as if the world had nothing to do with him.And he lives in his play.

Qin Xiaolou said: "Zhenqing has seen a shadow play before?"

Zhao Pingzhen nodded and said: "When my mother and queen celebrated their birthday banquet, officials from all over the country paid tribute to many good things. Some officials from Shaanxi and Gansu sent a troupe of shadow puppetry."

Qin Xiaolou turned his gaze back to the screen where a scene of joys and sorrows was playing out.After a while, he murmured: "I have never seen it before, I only heard it from others."

Zhao Pingzhen was speechless for a while.The two stood side by side on the street, becoming the old man's only audience.

The old man acted in "Empty City Strategies".

Zhuge Liang held the feather fan in his hand bit by bit, and sang: "Discussing yin and yang is like turning the palm of your hand to protect the universe. The first emperor went to Nanyang to drive three times, and united with Eastern Wu to destroy Cao and Wei. Three points, the official seal to Wuxiang Marquis in charge of the commander-in-chief, East and West Fight north and south to suppress Bo Gu Tong Jin!"

Zhao Pingzhen had a smile on his face: "Interesting, interesting."

Qin Xiaolou commented: "In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, I don't like Zhuge Liang."

"Oh?" Zhao Pingzhen asked with some interest: "Then who do you like?"

Qin Xiaolou answered concisely: "Jia Xu."

Zhao Pingzhen held the fan and twirled it twice, his eyes sometimes stayed on the moving shadow figures, and sometimes on the quiet Qin Xiaolou.

Seeing that Zhao Pingzhen didn't ask, Qin Xiaolou explained after a while: "Zhuge Liang is highly praised, he doesn't look like a real person." As for why he likes Jia Xu, he didn't explain.

Zhao Pingzhen imitated his tone and said with a smile: "I don't like Zhuge Liang, nor Liu Bei. I like Cao Cao."

The empty city plan in that room was singing lively, but the two people in this room were also making a scene in a decent way.

Qin Xiaolou squinted his eyes and smiled, imitating the singing voice of an old man in a shadow puppetry, and opened his voice jerky: "Jia Wenhe, see the lord~"

Zhao Pingzhen straightened his back, straightened his face, and made a princely posture: "Come on, Wen He, and let me see how to take down Zhuge Liang, this evildoer!"

After the quarrel, Qin Xiaolou suppressed his smile and said: "I asked him, he came here three years ago and performed shadow puppetry here every day. In the past, when Yingtian Mansion was lively, hundreds of people watched him every day. The play. Now that no one is watching it, he will not stop and act it for himself.”

Zhao Pingzhen fell silent.

Qin Xiaolou pointed to the empty street: "He told me that there used to be a cloth shop here, and there was a rouge shop there, and there was a tea house next to the rouge shop. It was not right to watch movies under the blue sky and white sun, so he would go to the tea house to sing operas during the day and watch the audience Let’s have a cup of tea, and you can listen to a play all afternoon.”

"When I listen to him, I can imagine what Ying Tianfu was like back then, as if the laughter is right next to my ears."

He didn't need to say the rest, Zhao Pingzhen also understood.

Such a beautiful city, why should it be turned into a ruined city under the trampling of golden men's iron hoofs and engulfed by the flames of war?Why abandon your wife and children?Why not fight yourself?Why not act?

The empty city plan there is over, the drama of the Three Kingdoms is over, and the drama here has just begun.