Hsu Fengnian asked softly, "General Shi, this time, the Western Shu Sect sent ten thousand elite soldiers to the Guangling Sect. Wei Fucheng and Dian Xiongniu were only appointed as deputy generals. An outsider, Huyan Ruanruo, was appointed as the main general. As for the border between Beiliang and Western Shu, Chen Zhibao assigned a young man named Che Ye to guard the northern gate of Western Shu. Regarding these two matters, what do you think, General Shi? "
Shi Fu's brows furrowed even more, but he remained silent.
Hsu Fengnian quietly waited for him to continue. It seemed that he was determined to wait for the former confidant of the King of Shu to open his mouth to prove his loyalty. However, Shi Fu gritted his teeth and remained silent. His expression became increasingly gloomy. If the young vassal king asked about Ji Liuzhou, Hutou City of Liangzhou, or Gourd City of Youzhou, Shi Fu believed that he would tell him everything he knew. However, he was indebted to Chen Zhibao for nurturing him. Regardless of whether Chen Zhibao was going against Beiliang or not, as long as Chen Zhibao did not explicitly target Beiliang, Shi Fu would not turn against Chen Zhibao. Even if he angered Hsu Fengnian today, Shi Fu would not hesitate to do so. Shi Fu actually admired this young man from the Xu family. However, Shi Fu could not cross the threshold in his heart when it came to some matters that crossed his bottom line. That was why Zhong Hongwu, the Great General of Huaihua, made an exception for Shi Fu and regarded him as a thorn in his side.
Hsu Fengnian did not wait for an answer. He asked again, "If This King says that you can safely move three hundred people to Western Shu, will you go there?"
Shi Fu hesitated for a moment and smiled bitterly, "Unlike Wei Fucheng and Dian Xiongniu, or Che Ye, who came from Beimang, my family is a big family in Liangzhou. Even if I am willing to go to Western Shu and Prince does not stop me, many elders in my family who are used to the customs of Beiliang will not agree to leave their home. This has nothing to do with whether I can become a high-ranking official in Western Shu again. To be honest, Prince, I have no choice but to take ten thousand steps back. In fact, if the Shi family really moved the ancestral tablets to Western Shu, not to mention others, the three people of my generation in Beiliang and the four nephews serving in the border army of Liangzhou will probably stay in Beiliang. In this way, before we even leave Beiliang, the Shi family will be torn apart. "
Hsu Fengnian put on a fake smile and said, "At least General Shi is honest with me."
Shi Fu chuckled and said, "There's no point in hiding it. I know that the Shi family has spies planted in the Dushui Chamber for many years. It's not that I have such discerning eyes, but that before Chu Lushan became the Protector-General of the Northern Liang, he made a special trip to the Shi family to 'meet honestly' with me. Therefore, in these two years, I have not been able to sleep peacefully. It is funny to say that in my early years in the army, even if I went deep into Beimang and rested on the horses, I would still sleep better than on my own bed. "
Hsu Fengnian did not comment on Chu Lushan's spies in the Shi family. He changed the topic and asked with a smile, "The Courtyard Pasture currently has eight hundred White Horse Guards, Luo Hongcai and the two captains' three thousand four hundred cavalry, plus the Longxi troops of the pasture, and the two thousand cavalry left behind by Zhao Rongguang, there are still less than eight thousand. This King can only wait for three days. One of the two captains of Liangzhou's Tongguan Pass, Xin Yinma, will also lead three thousand elite cavalry over. Their numbers will exceed ten thousand. General Shi, do you think that these ten thousand cavalry rushing into the battlefield of Liuzhou will be able to provide timely assistance, or will distant water not be able to quench the immediate thirst?"
The Stone Talisman asked, "If the Stone Talisman speaks bluntly, will Your Highness really listen?"
Hsu Fengnian said calmly, "Let's hear it first. You, Shi Fu, are not Yan Wenluan or Chen Yunchui, the famous generals of the Spring and Autumn Period. You are also not part of the Xu family like Chu Lushan and Yuan Zuozong, who have made great contributions. You do not have the right to make This King listen to whatever you say. "
Shi Fu sighed and said slowly, "In my opinion, the 10,000 cavalry of the King is not like a cup of water on a burning cart of firewood. But it may be beneficial to the situation of Liu Province. It is no different from the situation of Beiliang. If I were the King, I would be more thorough. I would let the two deputy generals of Lingzhou, Wang Zhi and Huang Xiaokuai lead the troops. With the Yanxia Commandant, Jiao Wuyi and the other commandants as the main force, not only would the cavalry of Liangzhou enter Liu Province to solve the urgent situation, but I would also decisively send the cavalry of Lingzhou north to Liu Province. After defeating Liu Gui's army on the western front of Beimang, they would quickly fill the gap outside Liangzhou Pass and south of Huaiyang Pass …"
Shi Fu suddenly felt the killing intent of the young King. He said calmly, "Originally, I did not know the situation. But since I came to Tianjing Ranch and heard about the number of horses in this ranch, Shi Fu can more or less guess the plan of the King and the Protectorate General. There is no need for the King to think too much about it."
Hsu Fengnian nodded. He squatted down and pulled out a piece of licorice and chewed it.
Shi Fu continued, "In the final analysis, in the battle of Liang Mang, outside Liangzhou Pass, Liuzhou, and Youzhou, there will be victories and defeats. But the place that really decides the survival of Beiliang is only outside Liangzhou Pass. If we lose here, Beiliang will also lose the general trend of Beiliang that the Great General and the King worked so hard to accumulate for two generations. In the Spring and Autumn Period, there were many ridiculous battles where the Great General won a great battle but caused the King's country to perish. Before the final outcome of the Battle of West Wall was decided, everyone was optimistic about West Chu who had won a series of small victories. However, the Great General wanted to complete the siege of West Wall at the cost of rapidly consuming his troops. He did not hesitate to use a few troops in an important but not critical battle to lure most of the elites of West Chu to attack, just to create a small gap in the defense of West Wall. The Battle of Princess' Tomb that Commander Yuan shone brilliantly is a clear proof. "
Hsu Fengnian suddenly stood up, "General Shi, I'll leave these 10,000 cavalry to you. In three days at the latest, you'll take them to Liuzhou to reinforce Qingcang City and Long Xiang Army."
Shi Fu was stunned on the spot. He did not understand why he could take on such a great responsibility, and also wondered why Hsu Fengnian did not personally lead the army.
Hsu Fengnian spat out the chewed grass root and said in a low voice, "I received news this morning that Hutou City has fallen. Beimang's army is pressing on Huaiyang, Liuya, and Fuling Towns."
Shi Fu's expression changed greatly, and he said in shock, "How could Hutou City fall so quickly?"
Hsu Fengnian turned and looked to the north, "Dong Zhuo is a madman. Previously, he would send people to dig a tunnel every few days to their deaths. There were 16 tunnels, and as a result, 5,000 people died. However, no one would have thought that this guy did not dig 16 secret tunnels at all, but a total of 38! 12 of them only dug to the outside of the city, and then with the cooperation of the ground siege … "
Hsu Fengnian did not say anything else.
Shi Fu muttered, "This madman, this son of a b * tch …"
Hsu Fengnian turned and said to Shi Fu, "I'm going to Huaiyang Pass immediately. Shi Fu, from now on, you'll regain your position as General of Liangzhou. Not only the 10,000 cavalry, all the Lingzhou cavalry that will enter Liangzhou will be under your command. "
Shi Fu exhaled heavily, and cupped his fists, "As you wish!"
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.
