Condescending and Condescending

At this time, Pei Shi and Zhao Ningmeng hurried over, obviously, they also heard the news.

"What the hell is going on? Why did the barbarians suddenly attack?"

"What do the frontier troops eat? 10 people can't stop 2 people."

"And the state capitals, why didn't they organize manpower defense? Why did they report when the barbarians attacked Jinan Prefecture? And why only Dongchang Prefecture sent a military report?"

……

Zhao Ningmeng's face was ashen, and she asked more than ten questions in succession.

Pei Shi was more worried about their safety: "Yanqin, what should we do now?"

That's [-] barbarian elite cavalry. Even in normal times, if they don't have soldiers and horses that are double or even triple the barbarian army, they have no chance of winning at all, let alone Jinan Prefecture now has less than [-] soldiers. .

Only then did Zhao Ningmeng come to her senses: "Yanqin, in the name of Prince Taki's son, quickly summon all the states to send troops to support them."

"That's too late!"

Fang Yanqin put away the military newspaper and just said.

Almost at the same time, Mrs. Pei suddenly turned her head.

Only the sound of horseshoes could be heard faintly in the distance.

And the sound of the hooves is getting closer and clearer...

Pei Shi and Zhao Ningmeng only felt that their eyes went dark——

The barbarians are coming!

"Quick, hurry into the city!"

"Close the city gate, close the city gate immediately!"

"Woooooo, mother, I'm afraid!"

"Buddha bless!"

……

The city of Jinan is already in chaos.

The officers and soldiers guarding the city panicked and closed the city gate desperately.

The people in the city were jumping like crazy, the children were crying loudly, the old woman was chanting the Buddha's name devoutly, but her face was full of despair... Looking around, there was a mess.

And looking at the barbarian cavalry crowded outside the city, Pei's face was pale.

Because she knew well that with their small force, they couldn't stop the barbarian army for long.

So she couldn't help but recall 20 years ago, when she just married King Taki, the barbarian army broke through Laizhou and slaughtered all the people in the city.

For a total of 6 people, it took her three days to collect the corpses, and it took half a month to clean the blood on the ground.

She clearly remembered the scene at that time, the man's head was chopped off and kicked as a ball, the woman was raped and then killed, the pregnant woman was tied to the frame, the child was cut out alive, built into a Jingguan, and dug up Eyes, noses cut off...

Today, history is clearly repeating itself.

Pei's body couldn't help shaking.

Zhao Ningmeng barely kept her composure: "Wait, why didn't the barbarian army attack?"

"Yeah, why did the barbarian army stop?"

Everyone looked out one after another.

On the other side, a day ago.

Jiangning Chief Commissioner, Huai'an Mansion, Ten Li Changting Pavilion.

"Shibo stop!"

Chen Ci bowed deeply to the middle-aged man opposite.

Looking at the speech in front of him, which was still standing like an orchid orchid and jade tree, but no longer the same as before, the middle-aged man Gao Hong couldn't help but said: "Xiuzhi, Shibo knows that you are depressed, but sometimes..."

Isn't Gao Hong the head of the Gao family in Huai'an?

In terms of relationship, the Gao family and the Chen family are family friends, and Gao Hong's grandmother is Chen Ci's great aunt.

Because of this, in the capital, the army led by the Gao family and the other four Qin Wang armies fell to Zhao Yan.

Of course, Zhao Yan didn't know this, he only thought that Chen Ci was just relying on his resourcefulness to persuade them.

The reason why Chen Ci appeared here is precisely because it was Gao Hong's mother's [-]th birthday three days ago, so Chen Ci specially found an excuse to come here to pay homage to her old man's birthday.

Speaking of this, Gao Hong didn't know what to say next.

After all, Chen Ci can't be persuaded to let go of the hatred in his heart.

So he could only say: "... Shibo hopes that you will not be blinded by hatred. What Zhao Yan has done is really not a gentleman. If you are involved with him, I am afraid that there will be no harm in the future." Good end..."

Regarding this, Chen Ci only said: "Don't worry, my nephew knows it well."

After Chen Ci said that, what else could Gao Hong say, he could only say: "Okay."

Then, as if he remembered something, he continued: "You are not too young this year, and it's time to start a family, but if you have someone you like, I will ask your aunt to propose marriage for you!"

After all, the hope of the Chen family to flourish now rests on Chen Ci.

Hearing this, Chen Ci couldn't help but think of the bullshit love poem he just received yesterday and that brazen person thousands of miles away.

He was silent, but finally said: "Not yet."

After all, the current state between him and Fang Yanqin can only be regarded as a tacit ambiguity.

——Because he couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart, he didn't want to establish a relationship with Fang Yanqin.

And Fang Yanqin obviously knew this, so he never mentioned it.

Therefore, many times, Chen Ci would let that guy tease him.

After all, from a certain point of view, he is also the one playing hooligans.

Gao Hong probably saw something, but looking at Chen Ci's expression, he could only swallow the words that came to his lips: "Okay."

At this time, there was a sudden sound of horseshoes in the distance.

"Patriarch, Patriarch..."

Gao Hong and Chen Ci turned their heads.

After a while, the man was in front of the two of them.

After turning over and getting off his horse, he knelt down on the ground, panting to Chen Ci, and said, "Patriarch, just received the news that Zhao Yan and King Taki held the son of Taki in order to lure the barbarians to take the initiative to attack." The fact that there is musket manufacturing technology was revealed to the barbarians, and three days ago, [-] barbarian cavalry buckled the pass and went to ten cities in the northeast, and now they have invaded Shandong."

Hearing this, Chen Ci turned pale: "What did you say?"

After speaking, he staggered and was about to fall to the side.

It was Gao Hong who quickly supported him with his eyesight and hands: "What's wrong?"

However, before he finished speaking, Chen Ci broke free from him, and rushed towards the horse with messy steps.

At this moment, there was only one thought left in his mind.

That is, there are only less than [-] soldiers and horses left in Jinan. Facing the [-] barbarian cavalry, the fate of Fang Yanqin can be imagined.

Gao Hong was dumbfounded.

By the time he realized it, Chen Ci had already got on his horse and ran tens of meters away.

"Isn't something serious going on?"

Thinking of Chen Ci's reaction just now, he gritted his teeth and got on his horse: "Quick, follow."

And in Jinan city, just when everyone was amazed, the barbarian cavalry outside the city finally moved.

I saw a row of barbarian iron cavalry at the front walking to the left and right, followed by two people in the middle riding out.

Pei recognized them at a glance.

The one with a full beard and a scar extending from the corner of his eye to his chin is the barbarian general Abaga, and the one with white hair and bony bones is Wuhuan, the barbarian military adviser.

"It was them. They were the ones who slaughtered the people in Laizhou Prefecture 20 years ago."

Hearing this, the faces of all the officers and soldiers on the city wall turned pale.

The next second, I saw Abaga riding out on horseback, and the voice rang out over the entire city gate in an instant: "Listen, people in Jinan City, as long as you hand over the family members of King Long, this general will retreat immediately, otherwise , when we break through Jinan City, it will be your death day!"

"The general only gives you two quarters of an hour to think about it. After two quarters of an hour, the general will give you the order to attack the city."

"This is your last chance, I hope you will not toast or eat fine wine!"

After finishing speaking, all the barbarian cavalry behind him raised their scimitars and roared:

"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

The voice was overwhelming, full of blood and sinisterness, so that the legs of the recruits on the city wall couldn't help shaking, and some even urinated directly.

"It's over."

In the city tower, Zhao Ningmeng's voice was trembling, and her hands were holding Hehe stiffly.

Apparently, even she couldn't keep her composure now.

She said to herself: "Obviously, the target of those barbarians is us, so we have only two choices now, either take the initiative to leave the city and surrender, but we don't know the purpose of those barbarians."

"I guess they probably want to use us to threaten the father, so once we fall into their hands, not only will we not be able to escape a death sentence, but the father and Dagan will be in danger."

"Another option is to mobilize the people to defend the city..." But that kind of sacrifice is too great, so I prefer the former, at least we can't kill the people in the city because of our family.

Even after the barbarians retreat, it is best for them to kill themselves immediately, because only in this way can the barbarian conspiracy be destroyed.

Anyway, King Long is also her biological father, King Long can be unkind, but she can't be unfilial, so Zhao Ningmeng has to think about him.

"no!"

Before she could finish speaking, a middle-aged man's voice sounded outside the door.

Zhao Ningmeng and the others turned their heads to look, only to see a group of officials and gentry from Jinan Prefecture filing in.

And the person who spoke just now was a vice president of the Jinan Chamber of Commerce. He said righteously: "If you mobilize the people to defend the city, what is the difference from directly tricking them to die? You must know that the barbarians are besieging the city outside Jinan now." elite cavalry."

Hearing this, Mrs. Pei was taken aback for a moment, and then came back to her senses in an instant: "What do you mean?"

Before the vice-chairman could speak, the others cupped their hands and said, "Princess, please, the prince and princess put the [-] people in Jinan City as the most important thing."

boom!

As soon as these words came out, it was no less than a sharp knife stabbing heavily into Pei's heart.

It can be said that at least half of her and Pei's contributions are attributable to Shandong's peace today.

In the end, these people didn't even want to say a few words on the scene, so they directly forced them to die.

Thinking of this, Pei's eyes turned red, she gritted her teeth and said, "Do you know what will happen to us if we fall into the hands of the barbarians?"

Those people seemed to be unknown, but continued to say: "Princess, please make a decision early!"

Not only that, even the generals and soldiers on the side also lowered their heads.

"You, you..."

Pei's eyes became even redder in an instant: "Then have you ever thought about it, when Abaga led his army to attack Laizhou City 20 years ago, he said the same thing, but after the prefect of Laizhou surrendered the city, he still slaughtered Laizhou is full of the city."

"So do you think Abaga will let you go after we surrender?"

The vice-chairman immediately said: "This time is different from the past, and Abaga will never dare to stay in Jinan for too long, because now who doesn't know that the imperial court holds magical weapons like muskets in their hands. The army is bound to be a dead end, otherwise, why didn't Abaga directly attack the city?"

The same reasoning, that is to say, if they did not accept Abaga's conditions, but mobilized the people to defend the city, there was at least a [-]% chance of waiting for reinforcements from the imperial court before the city was broken.

But these people chose to hand them over without hesitation.

Sister thought of this, Zhao Ningmeng also said with red eyes: "Mother, don't you understand, they just want to send us to die—"

She pointed at the vice president: "You forgot, you just exiled his brother a month ago, because his brother robbed a wife and ordered his subordinates to beat the woman's husband to death in the street."

She pointed to the leading official again: "And him, half a month ago, you just redeemed one of his concubines, because that concubine was forcibly sold to him by his stepmother..."

Only then did Pei realize that these people were all her 'acquaintances'.

It's ridiculous that she has done so many good things and ended up like this in the end.

To put it bluntly, it's because they don't have real power in their hands, otherwise these people wouldn't be able to get in front of them, let alone control their lives.

Because what they are in awe of is only the titles of Concubine Taki and Prince Taki, not themselves.

Thinking of this, even if she is not reconciled, Pei can only accept her fate.

She took a deep look at those people, as if she wanted to write down their faces, and seek revenge on them after death.

Then she turned her head and looked at Fang Yanqin and Zhao Ningmeng: "Yanqin, Ningmeng, the three of us, mother and son, are probably going to die today."

Hearing this, Zhao Ningmeng's eyes became redder: "Mother!"

"Don't cry."

Pei reached out and wiped the corner of her eyes: "At least we are much better than some scumbags, so don't let them see the joke."

Hearing this, several officers and soldiers in the tower couldn't help turning their heads.

"go!"

After finishing speaking, Mrs. Pei led them outside.

Unexpectedly, at this time, countless people rushed up the city wall with wooden forks and kitchen knives.

Seeing Pei's appearance, they immediately became anxious:

"Princess, what are you doing?"

"Are you really going to leave the city and surrender?"

"No, princess, those barbarians are all fierce and brutal people. If you fall into their hands, what will happen to you?"

"Princess, don't go out of the city and surrender. We are all here to help defend the city. As long as we persist for a day or two, when the reinforcements arrive, we will definitely be able to repel those barbarians."

"That's right!"

"Princess, you can't go out of the city and surrender. Without you, who else will be willing to make decisions for us ordinary people in the future?"

……

Everyone shouted.

Pei Shi couldn't bear it anymore, tears fell down immediately.

Seeing this scene, she suddenly felt that the sacrifice of their family was worthwhile, at least not everyone was a white-eyed wolf.

But she still said: "Because you are so considerate of our family, we can't let you go to death, let alone this matter was originally caused by us."

"princess!"

Hearing this, everyone's eyes were red.

Then, as if thinking of something, someone suddenly said: "Since that's the case, I'm about the same size as the princess, why don't I go out of the city instead of the princess."

Everyone's eyes lit up instantly.

"And me, Shizi and I are somewhat similar in appearance."

……

Hearing this, Pei's eyes were completely blurred, and she choked up and said: "No, absolutely not..."

"Why not, just treat it as me repaying the princess' great kindness!"

……

Seeing this scene, Fang Yanqin felt that the time had come, so he said, "Actually, we still have a choice."

Hearing this, Zhao Ningmeng turned her head subconsciously.

"what?"

Fang Yanqin: "We can still escape to Dongchang Mansion. Dongchang Mansion has a new army trained by me."

"Because the target of the barbarian army is us, so as long as we run away, they will definitely come to chase and kill us. At that time, there is no need to worry that they will turn their backs and attack Jinan City in the end."

"The most important thing is that as long as we escape from the encirclement of the barbarians, we still have a chance to survive."

Before Mrs. Pei could react, several nearby soldiers finally couldn't bear it anymore and shouted loudly: "I will escort the princess, the son and the princess out of the city."

When the other soldiers heard this, they also stood up one after another: "I would like to go too."

They didn't want to be turtles with those white-eyed wolves.

Hearing this, the faces of the generals, officials and squires turned dark.

Pei Shi still didn't agree: "No..."

Because no one can guarantee that they will be able to escape, and the people who escorted them out of the city will lose their lives in vain.

But those sergeants and common people refused to agree at all. They couldn't help explaining that hundreds of people directly carried Pei and Zhao Ningmeng down the tower, and then helped them onto the horses. Over the past, replaced by a pillow...

As if aware of something, Hehe burst into tears, and Zhao Ningmeng couldn't help but burst into tears.

……

Abaga, who had been waiting impatiently, frowned even more tightly as he looked at the empty tower.

"How long has it been now?" he asked.

Wuhuan at the side looked at the sun above his head: "It's almost two quarters of an hour."

The plan failed, and Abaga's face became even uglier: "The people of Gan Country are indeed a bunch of cowards."

"Order to go down, prepare to attack."

Unexpectedly, in the next second, there was a sound of fighting in the distance.

"what happened?"

Abaga immediately turned his head to look at the source of the sound.

Then a soldier came to report: "General, it's not good, Princess Taki and Prince Taki's son ran away from the north gate."

Abaga said anxiously, "Are you sure it's them?"

The soldier only said: "Their appearance and clothing are exactly the same as in the portrait, so it must be them."

Abaga immediately ordered: "Chase!"

On the other hand, Gao Hong, who had been traveling for a day and a night, seemed to be overwhelmed.

The most important thing is that he still doesn't know why Chen Ci went to save Princess Taki's family.

Because Chen Ci was like a wooden man along the way, he only cared about his journey and didn't talk to people at all, let alone tell him the reason of the matter.

Fortunately, Jinan City is just around the corner.

But what he didn't expect was that when they arrived, there were no barbarians outside Jinan city.

Gao Hong: "What's going on? Could it be that Jinan City has been breached by barbarians?"

"No, the soldiers standing on the city wall are still my soldiers."

"Or, Princess Taki's family has been captured by the barbarian army?"

Hearing this, Chen Ci clenched his fists suddenly.

He was about to drive forward immediately and go into the city to inquire about the situation in person.

It was Gao Hong who quickly stopped him: "Don't go."

Chen Ci can't appear in Jinan now, otherwise the news will reach the ears of Zhao Yan and King Taki, and they should be suspicious of him.

So he immediately arranged for the lieutenants around him to go to the city wall to inquire about the situation.

——The five thousand cavalry behind him were all borrowed from them along the way.

After a while, the deputy general came back.

Hearing that Fang Yanqin led 500 people to lure away [-] barbarian cavalry, the corner of Chen Ci's mouth was bitten with blood in an instant.

He clamped the horse's belly suddenly, and said involuntarily, "Chasing!"

Gao Hong had no choice but to endure the severe pain in his inner thigh and followed.

……

On Fang Yanqin's side, because the horses of the barbarians were superior to theirs, the barbarian army caught up in a short while.

"How to do?"

Seeing the barbarian army so close at hand, Pei's face turned even paler.

Fang Yanqin immediately said: "Take the small road, there are too many of them, and they can't use it at all on the small road."

Zhao Ningmeng's eyes brightened: "At that time, send people to set up some obstacles along the road, maybe we can escape smoothly."

Before he finished speaking, Fang Yanqin led them directly into the woods.

Abaga, the leader of the barbarian army, turned black when he saw this.

Just like this, you chased after me. Although the barbarian cavalry kept following them closely, they still failed to catch up with them.

But gradually, Pei Shi and Zhao Ningmeng became exhausted.

The main reason was that the horseback was too bumpy, not to mention that Zhao Ningmeng had just given birth to a child not long ago.

The most important thing is that in the next second, they rushed out of the dense forest, and what appeared in their field of vision was an endless grassland.

Seeing this scene, Pei Shi and Zhao Ningmeng felt cold.

Seeing this, Abaga, who was in a panic behind him, laughed loudly: "Now let me see where you can go!"

Hearing this, Zhao Ningmeng's face became even paler, and then she suddenly made up her mind: "Mother, Yan Qin, I really can't run anymore, why don't you go first, I'll hold them back."

Pei Shi has already made psychological preparations.

Because the barbarian army was getting closer and closer to them.

And here is at least half the distance from Dongchang Mansion, even if they can hold back the barbarian army for a while, they will not be able to escape.

So she just said: "It seems that the three of us, mother and son, are destined to die here today."

"This is probably our fate, it's just that so many brothers have been implicated."

Mrs. Pei looked around and said with a look of despair: "The three of us, mother and son, can only repay your kindness in the next life."

As she said that, she drew out the long knife by her side, and was about to rein in the horse, and ordered a confrontation with the barbarian army.

At this time, Fang Yanqin's voice suddenly sounded: "Here we are."

what?

Pei Shi and Zhao Ningmeng looked forward subconsciously.

I saw a position suddenly appeared on the low hillside ahead.

Before they could react, a gap was quickly opened in the center of the position and they were welcomed in.

Abaga was also surprised when he saw that there was an additional position on the hillside ahead.

Then he laughed again, and he ignored the black holes and muzzles of the guns: "It's just a daydream that you want to fight against our elite cavalry with just a group of infantry."

Then he raised his arms and waved: "Boys, kill me!"

"Whoever captures Princess Taki and Prince Taki's son alive will be rewarded with a hundred taels of gold and be made the boss."

"Kill kill kill!"

Hearing this, those barbarian cavalry rushed towards the hill like crazy.

As a result, the next second——

The Dongchang Mansion Army on the hillside pulled the trigger expressionlessly, aiming at the muzzle and the bazooka below and instantly spit out icy flames.

All of a sudden, guns roared and blood flew everywhere.

A quarter of an hour... No, just less than a quarter of an hour later, the gunfire stopped.

The gunpowder smoke dissipated slowly, and there were corpses and blood flowing across the open space more than 200 meters away from the hillside.

The barbarian army's [-] elite cavalry were wiped out like this!

Not even a chance to cry.

boom!

Pei Shi and Zhao Ningmeng looked forward blankly.

In the distance, Gao Hong, who was rushing over at this time, even murmured: "The scene where Zhao Yan's musketeer battalion smashed [-] rebel vanguards into a sieve in the first battle at Luomapo in the capital is nothing compared to what it is now. what?"

Because looking around, let alone the barbarians, even the war horses they were riding were blasted to pieces.

Not to mention that the barbarians didn't even touch the corners of their clothes.

But Chen Ci, who saw this scene, turned his horse's head coldly and left directly!