"What's wrong with him?" Red Lady hurriedly came over after hearing the news. She saw a sixteen or seventeen year old young man lying under a tree. His abdomen was swollen and his veins were like earthworms on his swollen belly. His face was swollen and his yellow-green skin made people feel cold.
"Alas! He ate too much wild vegetables and couldn't stand the hunger. He picked a few unknown fruits to eat. I think he was poisoned. "Xie Zhongcai stood up from the man's side and sighed.
Red Lady frowned when she heard this. She squatted down and looked at the man's uncomfortable appearance. She said: "It's not a good idea to endure like this. Get some mountain spring water for him to drink and find a way to make him vomit and have diarrhea. First, let's get rid of the poison."
"Yes!" Several bodyguards immediately responded and ran away. Xie Zhongbao frowned and said: "Ying 'er, it's not a good idea to delay like this. The soldiers are not willing to enter the mountain to encircle and suppress us. They just blocked the exit. We can't escape even if we want to. But if we delay like this, we will be finished without fighting. Should we distribute the stored food to the brothers first?"
Feng Lei immediately objected: "No! Now that all the food has been consumed, we are really finished. The longer the soldiers surround the mountain, the more loopholes there will be. We will find a chance. If we eat all the food now, we will be courting death. "
Xie Zhongcai stared at him and scolded: "Do you understand? The problem is, how can we hold on now? At this season, the wild vegetables are old and not much can be eaten. Can wild fruits and wild beasts withstand the waste of more than five thousand of us? Fortunately, there are green mountains here. Horses are not a problem, otherwise … humph! "
Red Lady anxiously paced around for a while and sighed: "Don't quarrel. How about this, kill the war horses of the brothers who have died in battle and stew some meat for everyone to eat first. Otherwise, we won't be able to hold on any longer. Feng Lei, find a few brothers to continue to scout the surrounding mountains. Check the situation of the soldiers' garrison and find the weak points so that we can break through the encirclement as soon as possible. "
Feng Lei had always been obedient to her orders. Ever since Yang Hu died, Feng Lei, who had been secretly in love with Cui Ying'er, felt that his hope had increased. Looking at the fairy girl in his heart, she was simply adorable from head to toe. If Cui Ying'er ordered him to jump off the cliff now, he would happily carry out the order. Therefore, when he heard her order, he immediately led his men to carry out the order without thinking.
Red Madame walked up the hillside. The mountain wind was biting cold, and her clothes were fluttering in the wind. She looked into the distance and couldn't help but tremble in her heart. "If all five thousand of my people died here, what would happen to the old, weak, women, and children in Taihang Mountain? They're trapped in the mountains and can't get out. They're running out of food. This winter … "
Red Lady's heart ached as if it was dripping blood, "So many people, are they going to perish together with us? Qiqiu, Third Uncle and Third Aunt can take good care of him, right? They did not know his true identity. The child would be orphaned for the rest of his life. If they can't hold on in the mountains and fall into the hands of the soldiers, then … "
Red Lady's lips trembled. The feeling of helplessness made her feel so lonely. Heavens, what should I do? I racked my brains, didn't hesitate to abandon the hope of being together with him, abandoned the possibility of happiness, and did my best to protect the uncles, brothers, women, and children of the stronghold. But now you want all my efforts to go down the drain?
Xie Zhongcai and Xie Zhongbao looked at Ying 'er's frail body. They looked at each other and silently sighed. They were also at their wits' end regarding the current situation. Their mood was so low that they didn't even have the strength to quarrel.
"Eldest Miss! Eldest Miss! Someone came up the mountain and used the secret sign language of our Cui family's stronghold. He said he has an urgent matter to discuss with you. "A brother of Cui family's stronghold ran over while gasping for breath.
"Using the stronghold's sign language?" Red Lady was a little puzzled. She hastily asked, "Where are the people?"
That brother replied, "They are being escorted over here. I rushed over to report to you first. Here, look."
Red Lady followed the direction of his hand and looked down the mountain. On the rugged mountain path, on the rustling yellow grass path, several people were walking up the mountain. Red Lady couldn't hold back and said, "I'll go welcome them and see who it is."
Xie Zhongcai and Xie Zhongbao looked at each other and hurriedly followed. Their second brother Cheng Laoshi had disappeared after the battle at the Yangtze river crossing. They had always thought that second brother had died at the river crossing. Now that someone used the stronghold's sign language, they couldn't help but have a glimmer of hope. If the person who came was their second brother, the stronghold's people would certainly recognize him. But perhaps it was someone he sent.
Red Lady stopped the person halfway up the mountain. Several subordinates cupped their fists to greet Eldest Miss. The man who was surrounded also followed suit and cupped his fists to greet Eldest Miss. Looking at his boorish appearance, he looked like a hero from the underworld.
Red Lady looked at him up and down. He looked vaguely familiar, but there didn't seem to be such a person in the stronghold. So for a moment, Red Lady was confused. When she was treating Tang Yixian in Shanxi's Yangyuan, she had seen Big Stick. But at that time, Big Stick was only a bodyguard and didn't attract much attention. Moreover, Red Lady's thoughts were also blocked by the two words' Stronghold ', so for a moment she couldn't remember.
She also returned the greeting according to the rules of the underworld. She hesitated and said, "I wonder which mountain's master sent this hero? Why do you know our Cui family's sign language? "
Big Stick cupped his fists and said with Shandong Laiyang accent, "Replying to Master Cui, this brother's surname is Liu. I was sent by Master Yang of Weiwu Ridge. I have an important matter to report. Because this matter is confidential, please leave."
Red Lady was completely dumbfounded. The Xie brothers also looked at each other in dismay. No one had heard of such a person. Weiwu Ridge? Which mountain is that? Listening to his accent, he should be from Shandong. Could it be that there was such a hero in Shandong's Taihang Mountains? At this critical moment, he actually came here?
Red Lady waved her hand and said, "All of you retreat!"
Her brothers quickly stepped aside. Big Stick Liu looked at the Xie brothers behind Red Lady and said with a hollow laugh, "These two old men, they are already so old, yet they are still so curious? Our Master Yang said that the law can't be passed to six ears. Only Miss Cui can hear it. Now with the two of you, we have six ears. You tell me, how can I speak? Speaking of six ears, our Big … Big Stick Liu really knows how to calculate. "
Red Lady smiled slightly. She turned her head and said softly, "Fifth Uncle, Sixth Uncle, you two also step aside. He can't hurt me."
The Xie brothers naturally knew that Red Lady's martial arts were excellent. She was stronger than the two of them. Therefore, they nodded and also stepped back. Big Stick Liu walked a few steps to the side of the wild grass. He stood under a plucked wild millet tree and beckoned, "Hey, come here."
Big Cudgel was tall and strong, when he made this kind of posture, he looked charmingly naive, making people laugh. Red Lady couldn't help but smile, the corner of her mouth couldn't help but reveal a trace of smile. She straightened her clothes and walked over confidently, then cupped her hands and said, "I don't know who Head Master Yang is, but I won't hide it from Brother Liu. I, Hong Niangzi, am ignorant and inexperienced, so I've never heard of him. Please tell me in detail."
Big Stick Liu blinked his mung bean eyes and said cunningly, "How can I not have heard of him? You two also lived together for a long time. Uh … No, no, you lived in the same house. In Yangyuan, in Imperial Envoy Hua's house. Does Miss have any impression of it? "
Red Lady was stunned. She carefully recalled it. Suddenly, her body shook. She pointed at him and said in a trembling voice, "You … I remember now. You … you are him … he, you are the person beside him!"
Head Yang of the Mighty Martial Ridge was none other than the Duke of Wei, Yang Ling. Red Lady's hands were trembling. She swallowed her saliva and said with a bitter smile, "He … What did he ask you to do? To see how embarrassed I am and how I am going to die? "
Big Stick Liu said in a serious manner, "Miss, you are wrong. Our Master … Hehehe, this title is quite easy to use. Ahem, ahem, our Duke said that no matter if it is the execution ground or the battlefield, he will turn it into a love field. Duke has arrived at Jingjing Inn. He said that he is here to mend the sky for you. "
Red Lady's face suddenly turned red. She said with shame and annoyance, "That bastard … He even said this to you?"
Big Stick Liu strangely scratched his head and said, "It doesn't matter if he doesn't say it. He said it so loudly in the small hotel in the capital. Miss is very concerned about this matter? Don't you want to ask how our Duke is going to mend the sky for you? "
Red Lady glared at Big Stick Liu fiercely. She couldn't wait to kick him into the ravine. After a long time, she endured her anger and said, "Then tell me, what does he want to mend … mend what …"
Red Lady's eyes suddenly lit up. Then, like a thin cloud covering the moon, not only her eyes, but even her voice became hazy. She stammered, "You said, he … he wants to mend the sky? Mend … mend … mend what sky? "
"When I poke a big hole in the sky, if you still have the ability to mend it for me, I, Red Lady, will follow you for a lifetime!"
Thinking of this sentence, Red Lady's face also turned red. Her legs also went soft. Her heart was beating fast. She suddenly realized that not only did she not forget that enemy, but now that she heard that he not only was not angry at her for causing such a terrible disaster, but also did not ruthlessly abandon her, her heart was unexpectedly happy and expectant.
Cui Ying 'er was very hopeless to find that although she never cried, her nose was a little sour, as if she was about to cry. She had always been so strong, stronger than men, how could she cry? Cui Ying 'er tried hard to sniff, trying to control the tears that were about to fall, but a gust of wind blew the clear tears down, falling on the grass like crystal dewdrops …
* * *
"How many troops are there now?" Yang Ling looked at the red and blue flags on the sand table, observing the offensive and defensive layout of both sides, and at the same time asked.
Next to him was the commander of the Jingjing Inn, Luo Zhangming, and the military supervisor, Miao Kui. Miao Kui said, "In addition to the Taihang Inn guarding all the important roads, the officers and soldiers responsible for trapping the bandits in white are mainly from Shanxi's Taiyuan, Liaozhou, and Hebei's Zhending, Fangma, and Zijing garrisons. If we use too many official troops, the burden will be too heavy, so we have to use some troops. But in order to keep the defense tight, we also transferred the militia from Taiyuan."
"Militia? It's only been a few months, how many people can the militia have? How much combat power can they have? If we transfer a mediocre army, it will affect the combat power of the entire army. " Although Yang Ling had made up his mind to recruit amnesty, but hearing the wrong command and dispatch, he could not help but frown and immediately pointed it out.
The commander of the inn smiled and explained, "You may not know, High Duke, but when Hebei and Shandong were in chaos, many refugees escaped to Shanxi, so the source of troops is not a problem. Also, the commander of the Taiyuan Guards, Sir Zhang Yin, has been in charge of the military preparation in Shanxi, so he has a special understanding of recruiting and training troops, so the Taiyuan Guards recruit and train troops very quickly.
Most of us northerners practice martial arts from a young age, and Shanxi is an important place to guard the borders, the local people are almost half soldiers, so it is easier to train people recruited from the locals. What needs to be taught to the militia is basically the formation of troops and the identification of flags, so the combat power can be quickly formed. Now the militia of the Taiyuan Guards has nearly twenty thousand people, and although their combat power cannot compare to the border army for many years, they are much stronger than the soldiers of the Wei Suo. "
"There's such a thing?" Such a famous general, Yang Ling had only heard of Zhou Peigong, Zeng Guofan, and the like, who used similar armed militia to quickly rise to power, and quickly formed their combat power. He did not expect the usually calm and impulsive Zhang Yin to have such ability, he had underestimated him in the past. If this person was really a genius in training troops, he should be put in an important position to complete the transformation of the army as soon as possible.
Yang Ling secretly calculated, then nodded and said, "Mm, then I can rest assured. As long as it can be of use, and not let the White Bandits break out again, it will be fine."
Commander Luo rubbed his palms together and said, "High Duke, we have surrounded the mountain for six days, the White Bandits do not have much food left, and their combat power will inevitably drop. Wasting money on them like this is a waste of money, do you think we should take advantage of their weakness and attack them early, and end the battle as soon as possible?"
Yang Ling and Miao Kui looked at each other, and said with a faint smile, "There is no rush. The enemy is defending in a dangerous position, and the attacker will suffer heavy losses. The longer we wait, the fewer casualties we will have. Victory is in our hands, and the opportunity is in our hands. All the initiative is in our hands, so why be impatient?"
Commander Luo repeatedly said, "Yes, yes, High Duke sympathizes with the soldiers, and has put in a lot of effort, I am deeply impressed."
Yang Ling smiled and said, "Alright, Luo Daren is guarding the most important pass, go back early and hold the position. This High Duke has just arrived, and the mountain road is difficult to travel, I am extremely tired. I will rest for a while, and after I understand the situation of the attack and defense, we will decide whether to attack the mountain or trap them to death."
"Yes!" Commander Luo solemnly accepted the order, cupped his hands and retreated. Seeing that there was no one else in the tent, Yang Ling whispered to Miao Kui, "I have already arranged for someone to enter the mountain to contact the White Bandits, I believe there will be news soon. I think at this time to discuss peace and recruit the Red Lady, who is at the end of her rope, has a high chance of agreeing.
However, the reason why this force can become our surprise army is entirely because they are carrying the banner of the White Army, so this banner must not be lost. The fewer high-ranking military officers know about the peace talks, the better, those who are not related to this need not know at all. When I am negotiating with them, I cannot be in the military camp, so I will need your help to cover it up. If the high-ranking military officers from the various routes come to see me while I am out negotiating, Eunuch Miao must be careful, so as not to arouse their suspicions. "
Miao Kui said with a smile, "High Duke can rest assured, but High Duke must be careful of cornered dogs jumping over the wall, intending to use High Duke as a hostage to break out of the encirclement. The Imperial Bodyguards must be thorough, to ensure that nothing goes wrong."
Yang Ling smiled and said, "I understand."
As the two of them were talking, a personal guard hurriedly came in and whispered a few words to Yang Ling's ear. Yang Ling immediately said, "Eunuch Miao should also rest, there is news from the mountain, I will go and see him."
Big Stick Hammer was standing in the study waiting, as soon as Yang Ling came in, he immediately cupped his fists to greet him. Yang Ling anxiously asked, "How is it? Did you see her? "
Big Stick Hammer replied, "Lowly officer has seen her, Red Lady has agreed to meet with High Duke tomorrow morning."
Yang Ling happily punched his fist, he thought for a moment and asked again, "Did you see the situation on the mountain? What did Hong Niangzi say? "
Big Stick Hammer replied, "Lowly officer did not go up the mountain, because I used the Cui family's Laozhai sign language taught by Black Hawk, Red Lady thought I was someone from Laozhai, so she personally came down the mountain to welcome me. I met her halfway up the mountain."
He recounted what he saw and heard in detail, Yang Ling listened in silence, nodding his head incessantly. After listening to his report, Yang Ling said, "Very good. You go and rest first, you must keep your mouth shut. Although Red Lady is illiterate, she has mingled in the Lulin since she was a child, she has seen a lot. Moreover, her troops are a mixture of several troops, although the Cui family's people are the majority, she will not act arbitrarily. I'm afraid this negotiation will not be settled with just one meeting, maybe you will have to go up the mountain. "
"Yes!" Big Stick Hammer was incomparably stupid as a servant, but as a soldier, he was very experienced and very shrewd. He complied and walked to the door, when he remembered something, he turned his head and said with a smile, "High Duke, they already have nowhere to go, maybe once you come out, they will immediately surrender. On the mountain, I told her what High Duke taught me, saying that High Duke has already arrived and wants to mend the sky for her, she could not hold back her tears, looks like she is also very afraid on the mountain. "
Yang Ling was startled, he waved his hand and said, "I know."
Big Stick Hammer was not so stupid that he could not see the feelings between the two, at this time, he deliberately pretended to be stupid, passed the message, and then retreated with relief. Yang Ling sat back in the chair and sighed softly, Red Lady will be afraid? If she was afraid of death, she would not have done such a spectacular thing, why did she cry?
Thinking of this, Yang Ling's eyes also became a little moist.
* * *
"Come here." Yang Ling sat boldly, in front of a round table, full of wine and dishes, steaming hot.
Along the way, Red Lady's heart was beating very fast. She had thought of all kinds of possibilities when she met Yang Ling. For example, if he put on an arrogant and victorious face, then she would turn around and leave immediately. She would rather die than be humiliated by him. Or, if he hugged her tenderly in his arms first, just like how he dared to confess his love to her in the tavern in the capital. Should she reject or accept? She had been thinking for a long time along the way, but she still couldn't make up her mind.
Other behaviors and performances such as first being cold and then warm, reprimanding and intimidating, preaching righteousness, doing official business, etc., Red Lady had calculated them all, but she did not expect that as soon as she entered the door, Yang Ling would be like this. The two people did not seem like they had not seen each other for a long time, and they did not seem like enemies on the battlefield.
This tone, this scene, and this dignified negotiation scene or romantic meeting scene seemed to be completely out of line. He sat there arrogantly, his tone was neither cold nor warm, but he was like a master sitting in the back garden, talking to his woman confidently and confidently.
Red Lady's stubborn character immediately came out. She raised her willowy eyebrows, put her hand on the hilt of the sword, sneered, and said disdainfully: "Why? You want me to go over, and I will go over? I, Red Madame, have roamed the world unhindered, but I have never listened to anyone. "
Yang Ling picked his ears as if nothing had happened, took a mouthful of golden roast duck, dipped it in sweet sauce, wrapped it with pancakes and green onions, and chewed it very fragrant, very fragrant.
Although she was not greedy, Red Lady, who often did not have enough to eat, could not help but swallow her saliva. Although the slight movement of swallowing saliva was not easily noticed, and Yang Ling did not deliberately look at her, Red Lady could not help but blush. She said shyly and angrily: "Didn't you invite me here to negotiate? Is this how you, Grand Duke Yang, treat guests? "
"Negotiate, of course I want to negotiate." Yang Ling said slowly.
Cui Ying 'er's pair of almond-shaped eyes stared wide open, almost spurting out fire. That damn bastard still did not look up at her. He opened his big mouth and another mouthful of hot sweet and sour carp entered his mouth, causing Cui Ying' er's small mouth to disappointingly swallow her saliva again.
She was so angry that she could not help but want to jump up and beat him, only to hear that enemy speak again: "Even if I want to negotiate, I can't let my woman starve, right?"
Cui Ying 'er's clenched little fist froze in mid-air. After a long time, she looked around with a guilty conscience and stammered: "You … your woman? Where is she? You also brought a woman here? "
Yang Ling raised his head, and while pouring wine into his cup, he looked at her strangely and said: "Why would you ask such a question? Could it be that I have been wrong all this time, that you are actually a man?"
Cui Ying 'er's mind was a bit confused, and after thinking for a while, she came back to her senses. Her face suddenly became as red as a pomegranate. She shyly and angrily scolded: "Fart! Who is your woman? "
Cui Ying 'er's heart once again failed to live up to her expectations, she was very afraid that Yang Ling would say those words, but Yang Ling did not disappoint her. Those words of ridicule that she had said at that time, actually came out of Yang Ling's mouth.
The most annoying thing was that he was still holding the cup, and his two eyes narrowed into slits, no matter how she looked at him, he looked like he was asking for a beating: "When I poke a big hole in the sky, if you still have the ability to fill it up for me, I, Red Lady, will follow you for the rest of my life!"
It was as if Goddess of Mercy had thrown a golden ring at the naughty Hong Haier's hands, feet, and neck. Cui Ying 'er's heart trembled. She wanted to turn around and escape, but her legs seemed to be nailed to the ground. She could not move a single step.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
