On the city gate tower, banners fluttered in the wind. Guards and palace maids surrounded the place and it was heavily guarded. Near the city wall, there was an imperial carriage set up high. The imperial tent of Da Huang danced in the wind. In the center, there was an enormous throne inlaid with gold. The throne was cushioned with golden silk. The four sides were engraved with golden dragons of different colors, each baring their fangs and brandishing their claws.
Sitting on the dragon throne was a dignified elder with a slightly pale face. He was dressed in a yellow dragon robe embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon. Even though he had a smile on his face, his eyes shone with a cold light. He did not show anger, but his presence was overbearing. Wherever his gaze passed, no one dared to meet his eyes.
"Greetings to the Emperor. Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor." The officials standing below the stage saw the Emperor's dignified expression and silence. Their hearts shook and they all knelt on the ground. No one dared to look at the Emperor for fear of blaspheming the Heavenly face.
Looking at the officials kneeling on the ground, the Emperor's expression did not change. He nodded and said: "Everyone, please rise."
"Thank the Emperor." The officials hurriedly kowtowed and rose.
Sitting at the head of the officials on the left was Cheng Wang that Lin Wanrong had coincidentally met in the peach garden. This Cheng Wang was even more muscular than the Emperor. There was a trace of a smile on his face. Compared to the dignified Emperor, he seemed more amiable. The one at the head of the officials on the right was the Minister of Revenue, Xu Wei. With his position in the Emperor's heart, it was expected that he would stand there.
Seeing the unease of the officials, the Emperor smiled slightly and said: "I heard that the peonies of Xiang Guo Temple have bloomed. At yesterday's flower viewing party, zhen was held up in the palace due to state affairs and did not have the time to attend. Have all my beloved subjects gone to see it? "
Everyone looked at each other and didn't dare to make a sound. Today, they had clearly come to see the battlefield and recruit soldiers. Why did the Emperor not mention military matters but first mention the flower viewing party? Even though the flower viewing party of Xiang Guo Temple was famous, there was no need to bring it to court. What did the Emperor mean?
"Official Xu, you are the number one scholar in the world. Your literary talent is outstanding. Did you go to the flower viewing party yesterday?" Seeing that none of the officials spoke, the Emperor asked Xu Wei.
Xu Wei hastily stepped forward and bowed, saying: "The day before yesterday I was drinking and chatting merrily with Old General Li. I had a hangover and was unable to make it to the Flower Viewing Banquet in time. But this official heard that Cheng Wangye came to Xiang Guo Temple yesterday to admire the flowers and discuss Buddha, sharing joy with the people. The people have a very good opinion of him. "
"Oh?" The Emperor looked in surprise at Cheng Wang. He smiled and said: "Wang xiong is in a good mood. What about the flower viewing at Xiang Guo Temple? What's so fun about it? "
Prince Cheng respectfully said, "Reporting to Your Majesty. Yesterday, the peonies in the Xiangguo Temple were in full bloom. The fragrance of the peaches and plums spread for thousands of miles. The beauty was beyond words. The common people lived in peace and enjoyed the spring scenery together. It was an auspicious sign from the heavens to bless China. It is an omen that Your Majesty's dragon body will be healthy and your country will last for ten thousand years. My China will definitely be blessed with good weather and the country will prosper and the people will be at peace. "
The Emperor coughed gently. His face was slightly pale. He nodded and said, "The dragon body is healthy? Very good, very good. According to what Wang xiong has said, this hundred flowers blooming is a very joyous occasion. "
Instantly, the officials praised him endlessly, flattering him and singing his praises, causing Xu Wei to furrow his brows. That Cheng Wang only smiled slightly and didn't speak. He looked very steady.
Hearing the endless flattery from the crowd, the Emperor's expression did not change. He continued, "I have not been to the Xiangguo Temple for a long time. In the past, when I was still living in seclusion, I encountered an assassin there and was injured. Fortunately, I was protected by the gods, so I was safe and sound. Afterwards, when fuhuang was recuperating in the temple, he sent an imperial edict, ordering zhen to inherit the throne. Speaking of which, Xiang Guo Temple can be counted as zhen's blessed land. " The Emperor seemed to be talking to himself. Cheng Wang lowered his head and didn't speak. His expression was calm as though he was listening to a story that had nothing to do with him.
"Xiang Guo Temple is a place of great people and spirit. It is a place that teaches Buddhism. Naturally, the gods will take care of it and it will not tolerate any scandals. The abbot, Abbot Hui Kong Chan Master, is accomplished in cultivation and has profound skills. In the past, when fuhuang passed away, he recited Buddhist scriptures there. When fuhuang was alive, he told me to love the people and treat them well. Counting on my fingers, it has been more than twenty years. Remembering his voice and smile, it is all in front of my eyes. Wang xiong, if there is time in the future, zhen will go with you and recite Buddhist scriptures for fuhuang for an entire night to express the longing of us descendants. "The Emperor said to Cheng Wang.
Cheng Wang's eyes flashed. He bowed and said: "Subject di will obey the imperial edict. Subject di is the same as the Emperor, thinking of the divine face and is very excited. "
Hearing the Emperor mention the past, the assassination, and the succession of the throne, everyone was shocked. Hearing him mention the funeral of the previous emperor and the Buddhist scriptures of Xiang Guo Temple, they felt even more anxious. The mind of the Emperor was the hardest to fathom. He wouldn't say useless things in the golden hall. There must be a deeper meaning in these words. But what did the Emperor mean by mentioning these things today? What did he want to say?
The officials might be experts at guessing the mind of the Emperor, but faced with such a mystery, even if they cracked their brains, they wouldn't be able to think of a reason. Other than a few people, no one could understand the meaning behind it.
The Emperor seemed to understand and smiled, replying: "This is just zhen thinking of fuhuang. Everyone, just listen." His expression changed and he said solemnly: "Today is the day that Li Tai's army is practicing. Our China has been harassed by the Hu for many years. Li Tai's expedition this time is to defeat the strong enemy once and for all. Today, an auspicious sign has fallen from the sky of Xiang Guo Temple. The millions of soldiers of our China, with their spears and horses, will advance bravely and kill the enemy. They will achieve great feats and protect our China for tens of thousands of years. "
"Spears and horses, advance bravely, achieve great feats, and protect the country for tens of thousands of years." The officials shouted together.
A hint of sternness flashed through the Emperor's eyes. He shouted: "Li Tai, today, how did you arrange the soldiers on the battlefield?"
Li Tai, who had just rushed over on his horse, hurriedly stepped forward and said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, today, the soldiers on the battlefield will be tested in actual combat. Two generals will fight to the death. Regardless of methods or schemes, the winner will be determined in three rounds."
"Oh?" The Emperor smiled slightly and said: "Three rounds to determine the winner? This is somewhat worth watching. Are these two generals under you? "
"Reporting to Your Majesty, one of them is the deputy general that Your Majesty entrusted to this old official a few days ago."
Li Tai cupped his hands and replied with his chest puffed out. His hair and beard were all white and his tiger-like eyes were slightly opened. He was full of vigor. Although he was old, no one dared to look down on him.
A trace of a smile appeared on the Emperor's face. He nodded and said: "It's him? This is good. Old General Li has worked hard and achieved great feats. He has been loyal for generations. At such a young age, he still wants to go into battle to achieve new feats for our China. Although I feel gratified, I also feel deeply guilty. If there are some young people who can help the general and share some of the heavy responsibilities, allowing the old general to work less, then you can let them do it. This is also a token of our consideration for the general. I hope that the old general will treat them well. "
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness." Li Tai cupped his hands in gratitude.
"What about the other person? Is he also a general in your army? "The Emperor continued to ask.
"The other person?" Li Tai muttered to himself and shook his head: "He is not a general under this old official. He was personally recommended by Sir Xu Wei. However, speaking of which, he is not an outsider."
The Emperor glanced at Xu Wei. Xu Wei hurriedly cupped his hands and said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, when this official was exterminating the White Lotus in Shandong, this person was the commander of the right army under my command. He led over a thousand miscellaneous rations and fodder troops and killed the number one warrior of the White Lotus on Lake Wei Shan. Afterwards, he captured the White Lotus Saint King Lu Kanli and took over Ji Ning City. In terms of merit in exterminating the White Lotus, he is the one with the most merit."
The Emperor nodded and said: "Now that you mention it, I remember. Is he the nameless hero that you spoke of who made great contributions but did not covet rewards and did not seek to become famous? If it is really him, then I am looking forward to it. "
"It is this person." Xu Wei said respectfully: "This person's personality is different. Even though he is a peerless talent, he is cunning on the outside and does not care about what people say. He plays around in the dust of the world. He is like the old saying that a great recluse is hidden in the city. He is very knowledgeable about military matters and can be said to be astonishing in every aspect. However, he is not willing to join the army. This time, it was this official that used some tricks and asked Old General Li's beloved grandson to put on a good show before he was invited out. The other side of the real military confrontation today is this person. "
If Lin Wanrong was here and heard that all of this had been arranged by Xu Wei, he would have flown into a rage. You old man, you tricked me again.
What kind of person was Xu Wei? No one could compare to him in terms of talent and his eyes were ruthless and vicious. Hearing him recommend this "wondrous person", the officials all started to discuss. Even the calm Cheng Wang's eyes slightly opened, the light in his eyes clear. It was unknown what he was thinking.
The Emperor laughed and said: "From what you say, this person is a great talent. Where is he? Zhen wants to see what kind of person he is. " As he spoke, the Emperor got off the dragon couch and hurriedly sprinted to the side of the city wall. A crowd of palace attendants hurriedly supported him. The imperial carriage also moved forward. The officials followed behind the Emperor and flooded to the side of the wall, fighting to see the appearance of that wondrous person.
"This old official is bold enough to ask a favor of Your Majesty." Xu Wei's figure flashed and he blocked in front of the emperor, bowing as he spoke.
The Emperor hurriedly said: "Subject Xu, are you keeping zhen in suspense? What is it, quickly say it. "
Xu Wei grimaced and said: "It is not that this official is keeping Emperor in suspense. It is just that this wondrous person does not care about trifles and his style is bold. There is almost nothing in the world that he does not dare to do. This old subject does not dare to guarantee that he will not do anything out of line during the actual battle in a moment. Anything is possible with him, and anything that happens is normal. This old subject specially asks Your Majesty and colleagues to pay attention to this matter and not blame him. "
The Emperor smiled meaningfully and said: "This is nothing. Every wondrous person has wondrous actions. Today's real battle is close to a real battle, so there is nothing impossible. There are accidents everywhere. No matter what he does, I will pardon him. "
The Emperor seemed to be very interested in this wondrous person. After he finished speaking, he impatiently neared the wall and gazed into the distance.
In the distance, there were about a thousand soldiers. The soldiers were strong and their horses strong. The Emperor looked into the distance for a while and pointed at a person in the formation. "Subject Xu, is the white-robed young general in the formation the nameless hero you spoke of, the wondrous person of the marketplace?"
"The white-robed young general?" Xu Wei was also startled. When did a person in white robes appear? He hurriedly followed in front of the Emperor and gazed into the distance. He saw that in the newly arrived army, among a sea of earthy yellow armor, there was a person wearing a white cloak running back and forth. His aura was imposing and very eye-catching.
Although he could not see the person's face clearly, he did not need to guess to know who it was based on his flamboyant appearance. What a white-robed young general, Lin San. Xu Wei smiled deeply. His heart was filled with anticipation.
…
"Do you know who your opponent is?" Miss Xu saw that Lin San's aura was extraordinary and her heart was slightly shaken. She immediately asked.
"This is a battle. It does not matter who the opponent is. I believe in my brothers." Lin Wanrong said with a strong sense of righteousness. Then, she magically put on a smiling face and said, "Hey, Miss Xu, don't take these words seriously. These are just words spoken on the stage. We're just going through the motions and shouting slogans. Who is that guy? He doesn't know his place."
His aura changed again and again. It was hard to understand. Miss Xu found it funny. Without going on the battlefield, she really did not know who was reckless.
"The person on the other side is the assistant general that the Emperor sent to General Li's tent a few days ago. I met him for the first time yesterday. Speaking of which, you also know him." Xu Zhiqing smiled mysteriously.
"I know him too?" Lin Wanrong asked curiously. "Is it really that zhuangyuan?"
Xu Zhiqing nodded and said, "It is Su zhuangyuan. Don't underestimate him. He is familiar with military books, skilled in formations, and has a mind of thousands of hills and valleys. In recent days, he has been practicing formations in the army. General Li also praised him for practicing formations. "
Is it really Su zhuangyuan? Damn, that guy really has some skills. He plays with the pen and the gun. He is simply a master of both the pen and the gun. Lin Wanrong smiled slightly and said, "Thank you, Miss Xu, for providing such important information. However, he is unlucky to meet me. When I, Lin San, was fighting in Shandong, my brothers gave me a nickname. It was called having thousands of knots in my heart, using thousands of sets of daily clothes. Oh, using thousands of sets of daily clothes, do you understand, Miss Xu? "
Xu Zhiqing saw the lascivious smile on his face and knew that it was not a good thing. She glanced at him and pretended not to hear his words.
"General, please instruct us." Hu Bugui came over and said loudly. Lin Wanrong nodded, glancing at himself. His brothers were all dressed majestically, but his clothes were not neatly arranged.
"Don't you need to wear armor?" Seeing that Lin San's men and horses were all assembled, but only he, the commander, was dressed casually, Xu Zhiqing could not help but frown and ask softly.
"I don't have armor." Lin Wanrong grinned. He turned and shouted, "Xu Zhen, bring me my battle robe."
"Yes!" Xu Zhen urged his horse forward, pulling the reins and respectfully handing over a set of clothes with both hands. Miss Xu took a quick glance and saw that it was a white cloak and a worn-out feather fan that she had found from who knew where.
Lin Wanrong put on the cloak, and with a gentle shake, it fluttered in the wind, looking very majestic. He held the feather fan in his hand, waving it twice, and with a sage-like appearance, said, "Miss Xu, what do you think of my clothes? Is it like the Dragon of Chang Shan, Zhuge Zhiliang, or a virtuous minister? "
"What Dragon of Chang Shan, Zhuge Zhiliang, or virtuous minister?" Miss Xu shook her head. This person's words were strange and she could not understand. Lin Wanrong's skin was very dark, and when he wore the white robe, it was as if there was snow on the cinder, making him very conspicuous. Xu Zhiqing held back her laughter. "Are you ready?"
Only then did Lin Wanrong remember that there was no Zhao Yun or Zhuge Liang in this world, and there was no Legend of the Tang Dynasty or Xue Rengui. Naturally, no one would recognize his attire. It was no wonder that when he had instructed Xu Zhen to do it, he had been at a loss. Damn it, laozi was prepared to put on a good show of the "white robe general" and "virtuous minister", but now I have become a laughingstock. This show is a f * cking failure.
At the moment, there was no time to care so much. Lin Wanrong walked back and forth in front of the thousands of soldiers, his gaze sweeping across them. Seeing the soldiers' faces full of anticipation, Lin Wanrong waved his feather fan and said with a smile, "Brothers, do you know what we are going to do?"
"Army show!" Everyone answered in unison.
"Neigh —" In front of Lin Wanrong, a black horse leaped up. It turned out that Lin Wanrong had struck the horse's butt with his saber, and the black horse's long neigh drowned out everyone's voices. Lin Wanrong's eyes revealed a fierce glint as he fiercely shouted, "I didn't hear you clearly, say it again!"
"Army show!" Everyone shouted again.
"Hiss …" Another startled cry rang out. Then, a bloody light rose several feet into the air. The neighing came to an abrupt end as the warhorse's head was separated from its body. General Lin's blade had descended, and blood energy could be seen.
"Army show? Is this a drill? " Lin Wanrong held the long saber in his hand, and blood dripped from the tip of the saber. His eyes were scarlet red, and his killing intent surged as he said, "The word drill cannot be found in the dictionary of soldiers. This is war, a life and death struggle, do you understand?"
Seeing the bloody light, the veterans who had experienced bloody battles were instantly awakened. Their blood boiled, and they immediately understood what General Lin meant. Lin Wanrong's eyes were calm, and his face was expressionless. "I ask again, what are we going to do?"
"Life and death struggle!" Everyone unsheathed their long sabers, and a shocking murderous aura burst forth instantly.
Du Xiuyuan and the others behind Lin Wanrong trembled with fear. Although there was nothing wrong with deducing real soldiers, this was, after all, a drill. According to General Lin's way of fighting, they would really have to fight to the death.
Only Hu Bugui and Li Wuling were relaxed and happy. Li Wuling's blood was boiling, and he shouted, "Beat his grandmother."
Hu Bugui grinned and licked his dry lips. "That's right, this is how a battle should be fought. Soldiers are trained in battle, not through showy but impractical training."
Du Xiuyuan said worriedly, "Brother Hu, if General Lin fights like this, will there be an accident?"
Hu Bugui shook his head. "What's there to be afraid of? In the entire army, except for General Lin, the weapons in the hands of the others are spears without spearheads, and blades without sheaths. At most, they will break their arms and legs, or suffer from a few blows, and bleed from the lungs. Not many people will die. The Hu people are strong, and a large part of the reason is that they revere martial arts, and worship the strong. There are endless internal strife, and this is why they have today's strength. "
Du Xiuyuan shook his head. "This fight, even if not many people will die, but the number of injuries will greatly increase. Will it cause a mutiny among the enemy soldiers? Don't forget, the Emperor and the other officials are watching from above. "
Hu Bugui glared at him. "Bookworm, why are you becoming more and more backward? This is a real battle, not a drill. This is what I admire the most about General Lin. There is no such thing as a drill in the dictionary of soldiers. Will the Hu people show mercy just because the Emperor and the other officials are watching from the side? If you ask me, this is a lesson for the enemy soldiers. After this battle, they will bleed less when they face the Hu people in the future. "
Lin Wanrong heard the argument between the two behind him, but did not say a word. He threw the blood-dripping blade to Xu Zhen and said quietly, "Bury this warhorse."
This scene made Xu Zhiqing dumbfounded. This person changed too quickly. He was just laughing and joking a moment ago, and in the blink of an eye, he had raised his blade and brought it down. He did not even move his eyes. What was valiant? This was valiant!
Not a drill, but a real battle. This was a completely different military ideology. It had a strong sense of utilitarianism, but it was very practical. It made one tremble in fear, but also made one's blood boil. Was this how he fought in Shandong? Xu Zhiqing somewhat understood.
Everything had been prepared. Seeing Xu Zhiqing riding her horse into the distance, Lin Wanrong said to Saint Li with a solemn expression, "Brother Li, have you prepared the things I asked you to prepare?"
Saint Li said, "Time was tight just now, so I did not find much. But I do have some hay! " He pointed and saw that there were piles of hay all around. "These are the rations for the warhorses during the drill. They will last at least three days."
Lin Wanrong leaned over and whispered a few words in his ear. Saint Li was shocked and said, "How, how can this be done?"
Lin Wanrong's eyes shone with determination as he said fiercely, "In a real battle, anything can happen. Big Brother Li, just do as I say. "
Saint Li left to carry out the order. Lin Wanrong had finished reorganizing his troops and was ready to move out.
General Lin was about to give the order when he suddenly heard the sound of cannons from the opposite side, followed by a series of earth-shattering shouts. Countless troops raised their weapons and charged over like a tidal wave.
Damn, they're here! Lin Wanrong took a look and cursed in his heart. He immediately felt that something was wrong. With a look of disbelief, he stretched out his fingers and counted them one by one. After a few counts, he could not count any more. He slammed his feather fan on the ground and jumped up, roaring, "Damn it, we've been tricked. How are these a thousand people? These are clearly five thousand people. "
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