On the second day of the ninth year of the Long An, on the day the dragon raised its head, Jiangbei Daying sent an urgent message to the Grand Council. General Zhong Chan was patrolling the camp when he suddenly fell off his horse and fell unconscious.
All the military doctors in Jiangbei Daying gathered in his tent. He was probably not well.
After the Grand Council confirmed the situation, they immediately decided to release the red label urgent message to Gu Yun. Before the message was sent, the second urgent message from Jiangbei Daying arrived.
General Zhong Chan was gone.
He died at the front line, but he did not die on the battlefield. Instead, he died without any pain or illness like thousands of ordinary old people in the world.
This kind of death made people feel empty because there was no enemy to hate, no hatred to vent, and it was not a long time in the hospital bed.
All of a sudden, a person disappeared. It felt very surreal.
Gu Yun held the red label urgent message and looked at it for the time it took to burn an incense stick. He slowly exhaled from his chaotic heart. Only then did he come back to his senses. It was not a dream.
There was a moment of silence in the commander's tent. Then, someone started to say, "My condolences."
Shen Yi whispered, "Commander, the old general is seventy-six years old. He's already seventy years old. It's a happy funeral. Don't take it to heart."
"I know," Gu Yun sat silently for a while and waved his hand, "I know, it's okay. But the situation in Jiangbei is delicate. The commander has an accident at this time, and Zhongze has just taken over the Governor of Liangjiang. It's difficult to take care of both. I'm afraid there will be changes.
However, he said, "Let me think," but his heart was blank for a moment. It was as if all his thoughts were cut off and he could not find a clue.
Shen Yi glanced at his indifferent expression and said in a low voice, "Grand Marshal, the Jiangbei Navy was brought together by Old General Zhong and Sir Yao. I'm afraid others won't be able to suppress the navy."
After he started, Gu Yun finally reacted and calmly continued, "Yao Zhongze and Elder Zhong's deputy generals can still handle it for the time being. However, I'm afraid that Lord Yao's temporary appointment as the Governor of Liangjiang has reached the end. Yang Ronggui's accident happened less than half a year ago. It's not easy for him to stabilize …"
It was inconvenient for Gu Yun to say the rest in front of the generals. The situation in Jiangbei had finally stabilized. The refugees, merchants, and local officials had just returned to their places. Many factories had just been built, and people had not yet warmed up their houses …
Yan Wang had just resigned not long ago. Who would take over the Jiangbei Canal?
Was there going to be another bloody battle for power, or were all their previous efforts going down the drain?
Some people were born at the wrong time, and some people died at the wrong time. General Chung died at the wrong time.
Gu Yun paused. "I have to go over and take a look. This side …"
Cai Pa hurriedly said, "General He and General Shen are both here. Marshal, don't worry. There won't be any trouble in Beijiang."
Gu Yun nodded and ordered the soldiers to tidy up. He quickly spread out a pen and paper and wrote a memorial to the imperial court.
First, he had to send someone to deliver the letter and hand over the military affairs. After a while, Gu Yun was still talking to Shen Yi until the lights were lit. "Calais Yinghou is an ambitious and ruthless person most of the time, but a small part of the time, he is a mad dog. Do you know what the consequences will be if the eighteen tribes are in internal strife this time?"
Shen Yi nodded. "The barbarians will decline from then on."
Since Pangu created the world until now, many bloodlines of clans had been annihilated in the vast time. Whether it was natural disasters, wars, or long intermarriages, the bloodlines were assimilated … Some were like Mount Tai collapsing, some were like sand blown by the wind, the world turned upside down, and then there was a subtle influence.
Shen Yi finally understood how he felt when he heard Chi Kuyu's song in the prison that day. The barbarians were going to the end of their road. Although they were struggling at death's door, it was as if they were being pushed by an invisible hand.
Today, it was the barbarians. If the capital city was destroyed back then, perhaps Daliang would be the one going to the end of their road.
"It's good that you know," Gu Yun said. "Calais Yinghou and Hu Ge'er are lunatics who can make their own children into Wuer's bone. No one knows what they will do at the last moment. You must not let your guard down. Elder Cai is old, and He Ronghui is too hot-tempered. Ji Ping, we may have to rely on you here. "
Gu Yun was also talkative when he was free, but he was not a long-winded person when it came to serious matters. He felt that this level of advice was a bit talkative. But he had no choice. He was too worried.
Shen Yi said, "Leave it to me. If something happens in the Northern Borderline, I will bring my head to you."
"Why would I want your head?" Gu Yun shook his head and laughed. "I never eat pig's head meat."
Shen Yi was speechless.
Gu Yun ran to a safe distance before he lost his temper. He casually pulled out a wind-cutting blade and strapped it across his back. "I'm leaving."
"Wait, Zi Xi!" Shen Yi suddenly stopped him. "Take Miss Chen with you."
After the news of General Chung's death came, Gu Yun handed over the military affairs in an orderly manner. He even instructed his subordinates one by one. He even made a few jokes as if nothing had happened. In the eyes of outsiders, his reaction was so calm that it was almost cold. However, Shen Yi was secretly worried. When he got the clues about the Black Iron Battalion incident from Calais Yinghou, he also acted as if nothing had happened at first.
"Why would I take her with me?" Gu Yun said without turning his head. "Do you really think the Chen family sells elixirs? Do you think they can bring back a buried person?"
Before he finished speaking, he had already disappeared as if he had been reincarnated.
At the same time, there was no such thing as an airtight wall in the world. Although Daliang had tried its best to keep it a secret, when the two armies were facing each other, it was impossible to completely hide the fact that something had happened to the enemy's commander-in-chief. When Gu Yun received the news and rushed to the Jiangbei camp overnight, the Western Army in Jiangnan was also brightly lit and sleepless.
Mr. Ya took the medicine from the servant's hand and ordered, "I'll bring it to His Majesty. Go and tell them not to disturb him."
The waiter bowed respectfully in greeting and ran away quickly.
Before he got close to the door, Mr. Ya first heard the quarrel inside.
"No, you're too greedy." The Pope's hoarse voice, mixed with a few coughs, was heard. "I don't recommend this. You can't swallow something bigger than your appetite. With this kind of greed, sooner or later something will happen!"
Another person replied with a voice as slippery as a reptile's, "With all due respect, Your Majesty, this is not greed, but the benefits that are within reach. If I dream of eating a star in one bite, then I'm greedy. But on the contrary, I only want one more cookie, and it happens to be right next to my hand …"
Mr. Ya frowned and knocked on the door rudely. "Excuse me, Your Majesty's medicine is here."
The man who confronted the Pope suddenly shut his mouth, reached out to touch his beard, and shrugged rudely.
The emissary sent by the Holy Land had been in Daliang for more than half a year for various reasons and had no intention of leaving. Everyone knew that the emissary was sent by the King of the Holy Land and the nobles to take care of the accounts.
The King of the Holy Land could not wait to collect the land and the royal power, and could not wait to see the Pope fall from power. In the beginning, the emissary was very malicious and tried every means possible to prove that this war was a complete mistake. However, gradually, as more and more wealth and minerals were brought back to the country, all kinds of discordant voices in the country quieted down.
The greed of the Holy Land was completely ignited by the richness of the mysterious eastern land. The nobles, who originally wanted to see the Pope come back with his tail between his legs, began to change their attitude. They were more active than anyone before in promoting the interests of the Western Army in Daliang. They wished they could open their small mouths and swallow this giant in one bite!
This time, using the north to shift the strategic focus of Daliang, and then taking advantage of the situation when the people of the Central Plains had no time to care about other things, was facilitated by the emissary.
The Pope was originally strongly opposed because between the two battlefields in the north and the south was the vast northern region of the Central Plains. Since the transport and communication lines in the west were cut off, the efficiency of communication between the two sides was very low. When the Pope united the ambitious people from all sides to besiege Daliang, he took advantage of the time difference between the information cut off and knew that military strategy was fleeting. Moreover, in his opinion, Calais Yinghou in the north had an extreme and crazy side to him. He was not calm enough and was not suitable for long-term cooperation.
Unfortunately, although the Pope had the command of this army, the ownership ultimately belonged to the King of the Holy Land and the nobles. The resources could be plundered locally, but the Violet Gold could not. There was not even a drop of it in Jiangnan, and he had to rely on domestic transportation. Unknowingly, he lost a lot of bargaining chips.
Now, as expected, Gu Yun had beaten him at his own game and caused internal strife among the barbarians. Unknowingly, he had even aggravated the destruction of the barbarians.
Of course, the Pope did not want to cooperate with Calais Yinghou, but he also did not want the Black Iron Battalion in the northwest to go south. Once Daliang obtained a large amount of Violet Gold from the 18 tribes, the Jiangnan battlefield would fall into a very passive situation.
And at this time of dilemma, they received news that the commander-in-chief of Jiangbei Daying had died, and the emissary had caused trouble again.
Mr. Ya put the medicine on the table and said respectfully, "If you have noticed, although the people of the Central Plains have been increasing their troops to Jiangbei, they may not really want to fight. They also want to take the opportunity to take a breather. In this case, the peace talks between the two sides can be manipulated. Why do we have to take the risk and risk the lives of our warriors?"
The emissary sneered and turned to the Pope. "Your Majesty, your right-hand man is very talented, but in my opinion, he is still too young. Both sides sit down at the negotiating table to sign a contract. It looks like they are going through their own signing procedures, but the content is completely different. The difference in treatment between the superior side and the inferior side is as big as the difference between the Holy Land and the Central Plains. Do I have to emphasize this common sense again and again? The commander-in-chief of the Jiangbei Navy is dead. Isn't this an opportunity given to us by God? If we really miss it because of our own cowardice, I have a feeling that we will regret it in the future. "
Mr. Ya's expression did not change. "You are right. The commander-in-chief of the Jiangbei Navy is dead, but Gu Yun is not. He will definitely come."
The emissary looked at him gloomily. "Then we can attack them when they are handing over their military power and turn him into a dead man. Your Majesty, didn't you say that Gu Yun used us to make the Sirius Tribe in the north believe that the alliance is broken? Why don't we prove it to them with our actions? How do you know that our old allies won't surprise us? "
"This is ridiculous," Mr. Ya thought.
But he could not refute it, so he was stunned for a moment.
The Pope swallowed the potion as if he had taken poison. Trembling, he picked up a piece of silk cloth and wiped the corner of his mouth. Then he sighed. "Emissary, a war of this scale cannot be fundamentally changed by the death of one or two people. In the past year or so, the Jiangbei Navy has established a relatively complete system. Have you ever thought about what would happen if our attack did not achieve the desired effect?"
The emissary's smile turned cold. "You are right. In a war of this scale, one or two people are insignificant. If that is the case, why are you still so afraid of Gu Yun?"
Then, without waiting for anyone to refute, the emissary suddenly stood up. "I admit that what you said is possible. But even if the worst happens, at least we have shown a tough attitude. It is a stimulus to the northern battlefield, and we can still fight for more benefits. Your Majesty, I have to say that you are too cautious. We have an absolute advantage in the battle along the river. Even if the Central Plains' navy has been established, what can they do? One year? Two years? They are still drinking milk. If I were you, I would not let the two rivers remain silent for such a long time. I would not let the Central Plains' Jiangbei Navy be established in time! "
The corners of Mr. Ya's eyes twitched. For the first time in his life, he had a direct understanding of "arrogance" and "greed."
The Pope stood up and said seriously, "Mr. Emissary, what you said is very irresponsible."
The emissary put his hands together and raised his chin. "Your Majesty, the Purple Gold Deployment Order of our army is in my hands. The Holy Land has given me the mission to carry out your orders at the most critical moment!"
Mr. Ya stepped forward angrily and put his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. "You!"
The emissary's malicious eyes fell on him. The Pope grabbed Mr. Ya's sleeve.
The three of them were in a deadlock for a moment. The emissary's eyes turned slightly, and he put on a smile. He said hypocritically, "I have never doubted Your Majesty's wisdom. Please consider my suggestion carefully. Goodbye."
After that, he picked up the top hat beside him, put it on his head arrogantly, and turned to leave.
Mr. Ya said, "Your Majesty, why did you stop me? If we kill him … "
"If we kill him, the troops that belong to the king and the nobles will mutiny immediately." The Pope glared at him. "Do you really think that the soldiers under your command are as loyal to their commander as the Black Iron Battalion?"
Mr. Ya was stunned. "Then what should we do? Compromise? "
The Pope was silent for a moment. "Then we can only pray for God's blessing."
Pray that the Jiangbei Navy was really like what the emissary said, still in its infancy. Pray that Calais Yinghou on the battlefield in the north was crazy enough to keep the Daliang people in check. Pray that they might be able to get a good result in the dangerous situation.
While the Western Army in Jiangnan was scheming against each other and brewing a new conspiracy, Gu Yun rushed to Jiangbei. The moment he landed, he ordered people to reinforce the defense line. The watchtowers were on duty every four hours. Everyone was on alert. Then, he calmed the mood of the army, reorganized the troops, and let the generals return to their positions. After all, the Lord Yao was a civil official. Although he could control the situation, he did not have the authority of Gu Yun, who could execute orders without fail. He did not have the efficiency of hitting wherever he wanted.
He was busy from noon until evening. Only then did Gu Yun have the time to drink a mouthful of water. His throat was about to smoke, and he could almost taste a bit of blood. He did not care about whether it was tea or water. He picked up a bowl of cold water and drank it down. This year, spring in Jiangbei was especially late. It had just rained a few days ago, and a bone-piercing chill lingered everywhere. This bowl of cold water made Gu Yun feel cold from the inside out. He shivered fiercely and thought blankly in his heart, "What else is there?"
At this time, Yao Zhen walked over and said to him, "General, when we sent the urgent message to the Grand Council, the court immediately replied. They will send someone over in a few days. They should be here in a day or two. We just received news that Yan Wang is coming over on behalf of the Emperor."
Although Yan Wang had resigned, his status was there. He also had a master and disciple relationship with General Chung. In order to show his favor, it was reasonable for him to come and represent the royal family.
"Yes, he should come and take a look." Gu Yun finally remembered that he had forgotten something, "That … Zhongze, where is the mourning hall? Take me to see it."
Yao Zhen brought him to the mourning hall.
The mourning hall was colder than other places. Zhong Chan's coffin was stopped in the middle, and smoke curled up.
Gu Yun's footsteps suddenly stopped at the entrance of the mourning hall. He had been too busy these past few days. He had been running around the north and south, worrying about both major and minor matters. Naturally, he had isolated himself from reality. It was not until this moment that a thought suddenly hit his chest.
He thought, "It's because my teacher is gone."
Yao Zhen turned his head strangely, "General, what's wrong?"
Gu Yun took a deep breath, shook his head, and went in to light a stick of incense for Zhong Chan, "Go do your thing. I will stay here with him for a while. Call me if you need anything."
Yao Zhen whispered, "There are people who live, grow old, get sick, and die. General, please restrain your grief. The general's tent has already been tidied up. Later, when you are done mourning, you should rest early. I will send someone to guard the door.
Gu Yun nodded, but it was unknown whether he heard it or not.
When the mourning hall was empty, his gaze slowly fell on Zhong Chan's face. Because he had died without any illness, General Chung's spirit was not ferocious, but it could not be said to be peaceful either. The dead person's face was covered in a layer of dust. His face seemed to be made of wax, and it was not quite the same as when he was alive. The spirit was gone, and the skin was just the skin. It was empty.
Gu Yun sat down at the side and rested his elbow on the side of the coffin. He quietly thought of Zhong Chan, who was his teacher when he was young.
At that time, the General of Agile Cavalry had not shrunk due to age. He was not so skinny. He was awe-inspiring and vigorous. There were always two knives in his eyes. When he fixed his gaze on someone, the blades would be revealed.
"Little Marquis, memorizing military books does not prove that you know how to fight. Haven't you heard of the ancient playboys' 'armchair strategist'? If you are complacent, I'm afraid you can't even win a group fight with the street urchins. "
"Little Marquis, there are two kinds of martial arts. One is' skill ', and the other is' pain '. Now that The Old Marquis and the Princess are no longer around, your status is noble. Other than the Emperor, no one dares to hurt your noble body. If you want to be comfortable and pamper yourself, no one can force you to move forward. You have to think clearly about what you want to do in the future."
"Glory, splendor, wealth, and rank are not the life of a general. Since the Emperor insists on putting away the bow after the birds are gone, and since the world is at peace now, let him hide. In the future, this general will not be able to accompany him often. Little Marquis, you have to take care of yourself."
"Mountains and rivers will meet again. We will meet again someday!"
In the Yangtze River, each new generation excels the previous one.
Gu Yun's ears gradually became blurry, and his eyes could not see clearly. He could not help but squint under the candlelight. He was completely unaware, as if he was still immersed in the past. It was a great fortune for a general of a generation to be able to live to the age of seventy and pass away without any illness. Many people were envious. It was indeed a joyous funeral. Gu Yun felt that he could not say whether he was sad or not, but his chest was a little stuffy.
Changgeng also rushed all the way here. When he reached Jiangbei Daying, the sky was already dark. He did not have time to settle down when he arrived. When he heard that Gu Yun was in the mourning hall, he dismissed his attendants and went over directly.
The bodyguard guarding the mourning hall recognized Changgeng. When he saw him from afar, he immediately went in to report. Changgeng did not have time to stop him.
The bodyguard shouted, "Grand Marshal, His Royal Highness Yan Wang is here."
Gu Yun did not respond. Changgeng guessed that he was so busy that he forgot to take his medicine. He lifted the corner of his robe and stepped in, "It's fine."
The bodyguard carefully reached out and patted Gu Yun's shoulder, "Grand Marshal?"
Gu Yun was suddenly alarmed. He was half-blind and did not see the person clearly. His heart tightened, and he thought that something had happened. He suddenly stood up from the chair, and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.
He choked on a mouthful of blood without warning.
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